Amazing Grace
by Anayaah1611
Summary: "Are you too pretty for a male," the saffron haired boy said, playing with the sheath of his sword. "Or am I just seeing things?" "Definitely just seeing things." The dark haired girl in the guise of a boy replied, biting her lip for the hundredth time to keep her secret hidden. IchiRuki medieval/samurai AU. R&R!
1. Chapter 1: His destiny

Hello everyone!

So, this is my first time writing a fic for the Bleach franchise and I am very well aware of the extent to which it has risen. And boy am I scared!

Also, like many of you, I am an IchiRuki fan and was disappointed at the end of the manga and so, I came up with this AU. Sorry IchiHime fans!

Let me tell you, it won't be just a plain and sappy romantic story, since you know, Samurais and all.

Anyway, I don't want to keep blabbering!

Thank you for giving me your time and I sincerely hope you don't regret it by the end! Looking forward to your reviews!

* * *

 **PROLOGUE**

 _Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,_

 _That saved a wretch like me._

The beautfiul words blew the man away like wind on the first morning of spring, gently kissing him in places he did not know could be kissed.

 _I once was lost, but now I am found,_

 _Was blind, but_ _now I see._

The melody of the song soothed his aching heart,the feeling reminding him of someone wrapping a warm blanket around his body on a cold winter night.

It was as if the breathtaking tune was drawing him towards it, to marvel at the beauty of the one who intoned this sweet melody.

His over strained body however, failed to cooperate, falling on the soft bed that the long blades of grass had created.

The man looked up one last time, his blurry eyes catching a glimpse of someone walking towards him, before he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **Chapter One : His destiny**

 _This situation_ _is terrible_ , the man thought while continuing his journey forwards. It had been a good four months since he had departed from home, in order to protect his twin younger sisters and his father.

 _The times sure are bad._

He had no idea how long he had been walking, his stock of water and food, exhausted quite a while ago. Having had crossed three town on his way to his destination by foot was painful, more so due to his lack of money.

His name was Kurosaki Ichigo, the eldest and only son of his household, the one who carried all the responsibilities, given the fact that for most of his life, he'd seen his father clowning around.

His mother had passed away many years ago, when he was but a child, teaching him how cruel life could be.

To him, his two sisters were everything and for them, he would live. So when five samurais barged into his house, breaking down the door that they had newly put up, Ichigo did the first thing he thought right.

Protect his sisters.

The men, however, had an order issued by the daimyo who ruled over the village, to take all the capable men from unranked households and declare them samurais. Ofcourse, Ichigo had no interest in being one and so, he had adamantly refused, until he was informed that the only other alternative was to sell the rest of his family as slaves.

And there was no way he would do that.

So with a tearful goodbye, he departed from his house, heading with the rest of the men to some place they were told their abilities would be put to test.

The test, as they had called it, was really more of a survival game. Ten people had to fight to death for one bag of food and the one who emerges successful would be fit to carry the name of a samurai.

So much murder, so much bloodshed over nothing but a bag of food. Ichigo desperately fought to defend himself and not harm anyone, but he soon realised that it wouldn't work.

And to kill someone for him, being the son of the village doctor, was more painful than death.

Having emerged successful, the remaining men were sent to the daimyo, who assigned each of them a noble house to work for.

Sent off with nothing but a scroll and food supplies for a week, the men marched on, many to their inevitable death.

Ichigo sighed, tugging on his straw hat, the scorching heat burning his skin. How long had it been since he last rested? He didn't know. He pulled the tiny bag he had on his back, the extra clothes in them, his only possession.

It was now the fourth hour of the evening and Ichigo had seemed to have lost his way. Out of thirst and hunger, he had wandered into a forest, in hopes of finding something to quieten his wailing stomach.

He leaned on a tall tree, his back resting on the trunk, his eyes squeezed shut. How much longer could he hold himself together?

 _I'll just sleep here for a while_ , he thought sitting down on ground that was comparatively cooler thanks to the tree's shade.

He was just about to close his eyes, when he could hear a sound.

 **Drip drip**.

Ichigo's eyes widened in realisation and he bent downwards, putting his ear on the ground beneath him.

 **Drip Drip.**

Water!

Ichigo convinced himself that it was only at a short distance and that the minute water went down his parched throat, he would stop to rest.

So he picked up his bag and taking support of the tree trunks, he kept moving forwards, his back bending under the exhaustion that his travel had caused him.

He was feeling somewhat dizzy, but then again, he was dehydrated too.

The forest was full of eerie sounds, every branch cracking under his feet, leading to an unbearable silence.

To the man, or at least that's how he looked, this whole scenario was like in the stories his mother had read to him as a child.

In most of them, the main character ended up facing off with a giant wild animal, something which the boy was fairly certain of, would lead him to his death. He could not move a finger, let alone fight for himself.

After walking for a distance, however, the sounds ceased and instead, he could hear soft humming. It was natural, you'd think, absolutely natural to hear humming in the middle of a forest, but this was different. Mainly because it wasn't the sound of an unknown creature in the stillness of the night.

It was the voice of a woman.

Ichigo blinked his eyes rapidly to keep them from closing, thirst making his mind fuzzy.

And then, he heard it.

 _Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,_

 _That saved a wretch like me.  
_

The beautfiul music blew the man away like wind on the first morning of spring, gently kissing him in places he did not know could be kissed. The fragrance of sandalwood filled the air as the trees danced in harmony, their rustling leaves, in a way providing accompanyment to the woman's beautiful words.

He walked on ahead, seeing a hazy figure standing by the large lake that shone in the moonlight.

 _I once was lost, but now I am found,_

 _Was blind,_ _but now I see._

The melody of the song soothed his aching heart,the feeling reminding him of someone wrapping a warm blanket around his body on a cold winter night.

It was as if the breathtaking tune was drawing him towards it,like a siren's call, to marvel at the beauty of the one who intoned this sweet melody.

He staggered, yet moved two steps ahead, finally escaping the forest that was shrouded in darkness.

He wanted to see her, just one glimpse of the person that chanted this mermaid's song.

His over strained body however, failed to cooperate, falling on the soft bed that the long blades of grass had created.

The man looked up one last time, his blurry eyes catching a glimpse of someone walking towards him, before he fell into a deep sleep.

In that state of delirium, he dreamed of a soothing voice, holding him and reciting the words:

 _Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,_

 _That saved a wretch like me_.

 _I once was lost, but now I am found,_

 _Was blind, but now_ _I see._

 _T'was grace_ _that taught my heart to fear,_

 _And grace my fears relieved._

 _How precious did that grace appear,_

 _The hour I first belived._

And in the dream he saw nothing but a blur, the face of a person holding him covered, all except one thing.

Over the right shoulder was a black mark, a gash that looked rather painful. He reached out towards her, only to see her disappear.

He screamed out, called to her, asking for her name.

And all she did was smile at him and silently walk away.

Ichigo woke up with a start, his hat falling on the ground. He looked around to notice that he was sitting, his back against a tree and a vast body of shining water in front of him.

Birds chirped all around him and the shade that the large tree provided, protecting him from the ferocious Sun.

He groaned, feeling his jaw that seemed to throb for some reason. He put his hand on the ground to support himself, however, in doing so, his hand hit something else.

He looked to his side, in question and carefully lifted his hand up.

There, on a few folded leaves, rested four giant fruits that seemed freshly picked.

He lifted one up, raising it to his mouth and taking a bite out of it.

As the sweet taste and smooth texture of a peach hit his tongue, he seemed to recollect what had happened .

It wasn't a dream, he had really seen a woman there last night.

Ichigo stood up, hoisting himself off the ground, putting the rest of the fruits in his bag to move on.

He was now rejuvenated and could pull through for a while longer.

He didn't get to see the woman who had helped him though.

Really a shame, in his opinion.

He collected water in his tiny bottle and crossed the lake,walking through the only path he saw ahead.

And when he stood there, by the giant gate in front of him, there was one thing he came to realise.

There was no need for him to go any further.

There, before his eyes was a magnificent mansion, it's intricate structure putting the famous Nikkō- Toshugu shrine to shame.

He had reached his destination.

Ichigo heaved a sigh of relief, his saffron coloured hair blowing softly in the wind as he walked past the sign that read,

 **"KUCHIKI CLAN"**

* * *

There! One chapter down! That you for reading! I hope you liked it! Looking forward to your comments below! I love y'all !


	2. Chapter 2: Her fate

Hello everyone!

I'm back with chapter Two. And oh my god, thank you for your reviews! They absolutely made my day! Now, I have decided to take some of the questions I receive and answer them here if they're something I feel a lot of people might have trouble with, because I don't want to leave anyone with a bad taste in the mouth. So sorry if this is a little long, but bare with me.

One such question says:

you write really well! loving the story so much! What i dont understand is the use of the song "amazing grace", which is a christian american hymn from the 1800s or 1900s, yet the story is set in medieval japan when samurais were still around. a japanese folk tune would make more sense. otherwise this is off to a really good start!

 **My reply** : Let's study a little history, shall we?

The song Amazing Grace was composed in the years 1779-1806. At this time, Japan had boycotted all foreign relations and trade. Now, the Americans arrived in Japan by the year 1846, forcing them into trade. There even was one American official that was remembered to say, "It was almost as if we had walked back into the medieval ages. " So technically it is the feudal ages, but Japan, which had no exposure to the outside world loved in their own pace, hence the medieval.

A writer doesn't as much as "say" as they drop hints. The role I needed this song to play was to set a time and date for the readers. Samurais in Japan were around till 1868, so this story is placed between that time frame(1846-1868). The second role, I cannot tell you as of yet, you'll read it further into the story.

Yes, you're right, I could have used a Japanese folk tale, but I didn't. That has a reason too. Well, I can't really tell you that either, but let me drop a hint for you. The history of America's pleas to open trade with Japan caused a lot of uproar among the then dominating Samurai class. America became an enemy in the eyes of the Japanese. And this is a bleach fanfic,I'm not just creating romance, I'm almost rewriting parts of the story from the Canon plot into this AU (as I've explained before). I'm sorry if that was too deep!

Anyway, I hope that answered your question! Thank you so much for commenting! And I hope you keep reading !

Now, let's get started!

* * *

 **Chapter Two : Her fate**

"Rukia," a gentle voice said, pulling the little girl closer to her. She looked up at the woman, her large onyx eyes reflecting the respect and love that she felt for the older woman.

"Do you want to hear a story? "

The little girl nodded furiously, eliciting a chuckle from the dark haired woman.

"A long time ago, a man in a foreign land was forced into slavery," she started, rocking the child on her lap back and forth.

"Having no other choice, the man had to follow through it, for he was poor. He went through a lot of hardships, and without question, even nearly died on some occasions."

Rukia was mortified.

"But," the woman said, holding the little child's hand, realising how scared she looked. "On one such occasion, when he was sure he was going to die, in desperation, he called out to God, asking Him to save him."

"So was he saved?" Rukia asked, hoping she was right. She didn't want anyone to die.

"Yes, he was. He felt as though the heavens had heard him and that's where his faith was born. He continued on to teach the love of the Gods to people, and in all his teachings,a song stood out."

Rukia sighed. Thank God he was saved.

"Do you want to hear that song?" The woman said, while combing the little girl's hair. Rukia nodded, enjoying her private time with the woman. Nobody else was allowed in whenever she was here and maybe, Rukia liked it that way.

Her hair all ready and done, she turned around to face the woman, a large grin on her face. The woman smiled, raising her head and closing her eyes, her mouth opening slightly to let words flow out.

 **BAM!**

Rukia's eyes snapped open. She raised her head from the table it lay on, her feet folded in seiza position on the tatami matted floor.

Scrolls fell off the table, creating an enormous amount of noise, waking her up from her little nap. She groaned, rubbing her eyes.

She had skipped sleep for many days; work had been piling up for her.

Hoisting herself off the floor,she slipped out of her loose white yukata, into a black kimono.

Rukia stood in front of the mirror, looking at her tired form.

Just when she was about to resume her work, a light knock was heard on the door.

 _At this_ _hour of the morning ?_

"Come in." she said, lifting the scrolls and putting them in their previous positions.

The door slid open, and in came a man, long silver hair flowing down his back, highlighting his sharp and elegant features.

"Commander Ukitake," she said, without even looking up. The man, bowed ever so slightly, that if Rukia hadn't known him for all this while, she wouldn't even have noticed it.

She had seen him as the commander of a squad, leading samurais into battle with unimaginably skillful planning. However, after being affected by a chronic disease, his body had become weak, his power now down by a good half. So having retired from his position, he was now a guide to young newbies. His contribution to their family, however was never forgotten, his tittle remaining, "The Valient".

"What brings you here?" She asked, dipping her pen in the ink, continuing to sign some important documents.

"The board of ministers demand your presence." He said, looking down at her with pitiful eyes.

He had always felt very sorry for the child, who was forced to do something that no one would should ever have had to. Her secret was known to very few, her entire reality being a lie.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she put her hair into a bun, covering every part of her body that would declare her a woman.

For in the eyes of the world, she was a man.

She stepped out of the door, turning around to look at the former commander, who stood lost in his thoughts.

"What's the matter?" She asked, or more appropriately, **he** asked.

"Let's get going."

* * *

Ukitake stood by the door, watching Rukia, or the 'Young Lord' as she was called, deal with family business.

Having to shoulder so many responsibilities at that young an age was no easy job and the reason she had to keep her gender a secret just annoyed him all the more. He had always hated the elders because of that.

"Young Lord, request for more recruits has arrived from our base in the East." One of the ministers said, looking at the young heir of the family with judgemental eyes. Everyone disliked the fact that a young person was the head of such a renowned family.

"Then prepare to dispatch a quadrant," she said, modifying her voice to make it sound more convincing, looking up at the minister from the scroll she had in her hand.

"But we'll then have a shortage of our own soldiers. That would make our headquarters vulnerable." Another challenged, outright snickering.

 _What decisions could a_ _child make?_

 _"_ You needn't worry about that," she said, standing up, considering the conversation over.

"I will request one of our allies, the Daimyo of the Northern villages to send me his best men Protecting the family is my duty, after all. "

She walked out, the long sleeve of her kimono disappearing through the door.

"They only called you here to waste your time." Ukitake mumbled.

Didn't she already have enough of her own problems to deal with?

Rukia looked up at the taller man, her lips curving into a smile. He had always been like a father figure to her, also being one of the few people who knew she was no man.

And he worried about her in all situations.

"Stop it." She said, her voice regaining it's normal tone, something she always had to mask in front of other people.

"I cannot shirk my work."

"It shouldn't even **be** your work in the first place." He said under his breath.

Rukia was born of the second wife of the head of the family, who had died soon after, accompanying her mother and why she was treated specially, everybody knew. When Rukia was to be born, the shrine maiden's had received an Oracle that said,

"The child born on the first night of spring will be the next successor."

When Rukia was born, however, she was a girl and a female heading a family was unheard of. So, the elders that knew and a midwife who had helped deliver the child, kept their finding a secret, announcing her a male. And the child was brought up like a male, her only respite being him and another female caretaker whom she had loved very much.

"Not this conversation again.." Rukia said, sighing. He sure liked to bring up old issues!

"I'm right, aren't I?" He said, stopping their journey to the inner palace, where only high ranking officials and members of the nobility were allowed.

"The next head should have been-" Ukitake stopped midway after looking at the person in front of him. Rukia followed his gaze, only to share the same expression of surprise.

Raven locks flowing down his back, a stoic expression and an elegant posture.

"Lord brother.." she whispered softly. He looked down at her, his penetrating gaze nearly shattering her confidence.

"Byakuya.." Ukitake said, pulling his trailing kimono to the front unconsciously, a habit that meant surprise, Rukia had noted.

He didn't say a word, simple walked past them, almost as if they were nothing but air.

Rukia shut her eyes and bent her head downwards in agony. He has always hated her though she didn't understand why, avoiding any conversation or even contact with her unless very very necessary. He was a brilliant general and warrior, something Rukia was very proud of.

And he was her elder brother.

"Rukia..." Ukitake said, noticing her pain filled expression. She simply shook her head and continued walking,with him following suit.

She had no time to worry about silly things.

* * *

By nigtfall, Rukia concluded her work, the last documents placed neatly on her table to dry. She got up from her position on the floor, heading over to her closet. Rukia fished for something inside it and having found it, pulled it out.

In her hand was a beautiful kimono, unlike her usual ones.

Mainly because this one was not for men, but for women.

Woven from Japanese silk by the best weavers in the country, was a violet flowing robe, it's entire body filled with beautiful flowers. The waist belt was satin-like, a shimmery white in colour. Rukia donned the kimono and raising a hand to her head,pulled the hairpin off, careful so it wouldn't be misplaced. It was given to her by someone she had loved very much.

Dark black strands cascaded down her back, some stopping at her neck and some reaching further down. Thin,delicate sandals lined her feet that were custom made to keep her small feet from making too much noise. The kimono hugged her body in all the right places, revealing her hidden beautiful feminine figure.

She heard a knock, and went to the door, pulling it open. She had no need to worry,because till today, there had only been one person who came to her room at that hour, and for a valid reason too.

Ukitake looked down at her. No matter how many times he had seen her like that, he had never failed to admire her beauty. From the eyes of any man,he was certain she was one of the most beautiful women, if not the most beautiful. But he was biased, he knew, after all, he loved her most in the world.

She moved aside, leting him enter her chambers.

"Go." He said, smiling at the girl, coughing slightly due to his condition.

Ever since she attained adulthood, he had helped her escape into the forest, using the hidden route only he knew of. In order to be her substitute, he would wait in her room, in case anyone ever came to look. Rukia jumped out into the darkness from the window at the back of her room, ready to head into the wilderness.

"Rukia!" Ukitake whispered, drawing her attention to him. She raised an eyebrow in question.

Ukitake put his hand out of the window, handing something over to her. She looked at his hand, in which was a black netted veil.

She sighed, grabbing it ,putting it on and covering her face. Smiling at him one last time, she walked into the forest.

Rukia walked ahead, her footsteps soft and low. Nobody ever came here, she was told. Nobody ever took this path since it was dangerous and opened in the middle of the city.

She loved the mixing fragrances that surrounded her, the path created by the trees almost guiding her to her desired destination.

The dark haired girl stopped walking, having reached where she wished to be. In front of her was a large lake, it's waters shining in the moonlight, giving it the appearance of a vast constellation. The trees bordering it were at a distance, making it look like a stage with the trees as an audience. But what made Rukia come here again and again was another reason altogether.

Standing alone across the lake, was the last remaining Sakura tree that was now bare, since fall had just passed.

Rukia shut her eyes, the memories that pulled her here playing in her mind.

* * *

 _"Do you want to hear that song?"_

Rukia nodded her head. She tried so hard to hear, but the memory faded away. There no longer was any woman holding her. Instead, there was a body.

An unmoving one.

"Wake up!" The little girl said, shaking the body. "You were supposed to tell me another story, weren't you?"

Ukitake pulled the girl away, hugging her, softly patting her head.

She had cried into his arms that day, reality hitting her for the second time in her life.

She had been alone since then, not even the company of her favorite commander soothing her shattered heart.

And one day, when Rukia had gotten lost in the large forest, scared and terrified, she had heard a soothing voice humming something.

That tune!

She raced to find the source, looking here and there, falling down, standing up, just chasing the sound.

It was that song!

She came back!

Rukia hid behind a tree, noticing someone standing across the large water body she saw.

And his song filled the air.

 _Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,_

 _That saved a wretch like me._

 _I once was lost, but now I'm found,_

 _Was blind, but now I see._

 _T'was grace that taught my heart to fear,_

 _And grace my fears relieved._

 _How precious did that grace appear,_

 _The hour I first believed._

The song was beautiful, the tune making Rukia close her eyes and sway along with it, but there was something else in it.

Unbearable pain.

Rukia slowly walked closer, moving from behind tree to tree, to take a closer look.

And when she was at the closest she could be, she looked up at the person and froze. There, touching the trunk of the beautiful Sakura tree, was the one person she had looked up to the most.

Kuchiki Byakuya, her elder brother.

He sang the words, his voice going lower and lower, until it ended in him choking.

Tears fell down his face, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. Soft sobs escaped from his half open mouth and along with it was one word.

"Hisana..."

Rukia slapped a hand over her mouth that was about to let out a surprised gasp.

Whenever Hisana had disappeared into the woods, Rukia had been curious to know where she went.

And now when she knew, she wished she didn't. That night, she had cried, realising that she was not the only one in pain.

Since then, Rukia sneaked out almost everyday to see if he was there, but he never came back.

He never returned to the place that held their memories.

But Rukia did. She swore she would never let their memories be forgotten, just like she had treasured her own.

So every night, once she grew up, Rukia would go there, singing the same song and the same lines over and over, tears dripping down her eyes in memory of the one person she loved the most.

Hisana.

* * *

And one night several months later, she went there as usual. It was a normal night,like any other, until suddenly she heard the trees rustle.

Rukia turned her head in the direction of the sound, seeing a man stumble out of the woods.

She was about to run away, when she noticed him fall downwards. Running to where he was, she rolled him over, resting his head on her lap. His eyes seemed to be half open, but it didn't look like the surrounding conditions were registering in his brain.

She went to the lake and with her hands, carefully took some water, walking over to him and pouring it slowly into his mouth. Though most of it fell out, the few drops that went down his throat bettered his condition, seeing as he visibly relaxed.

He looked exhausted and malnourished. She rested her head on his forehead, checking for a fever. It didn't seem so.

Rukia slipped her hands through his bright orange hair, her fingers entangling in a few of the free strands. His eyes fluttered a little and then, just stopped moving.

He looked so calm, like the waves of the sea during a low tide with a long face, and beautifully shaped eyes, almost like they were carved by a sculptor.

 _Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,_

 _That saved a wretch like me._

She sang, softly caressing his hair.

 _I once was lost, but now I am found,_

 _Was blind, but now I see._

 _She_ felt him move a bit, squeezing his eyes in visible pain. She softly blew on his face, watching as he calmed down.

 _T'was grace that taught my heart to fear,_

 _And grace my fears relieved,_

 _How precious did that grace appear,_

 _The hour I first believed._

She sang, holding his head over her lap on place.

He mumbled undistinguishable words and she simply smiled.

"Name..." he said, cracking open his eyes slightly. She looked up at the sky. It was soon to be day break. She looked at the boy,before leaving him leaning against the tree trunk, the fruits she has picked kept next to him.

"Name..." he called out again.

 _Probably a lost villager_ , she thought, smiling at him one last time, before disappearing across the lake.

Little did she know, that soon there was to be a massive change in her life, soon a person would be more important to her than anything she had ever known.

And soon, the person that was to come, like a storm in her life, wrecking havoc, but leaving a new foundation to build, would be this very man.

And that day was nearer than she could have ever imagined.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you liked it and I didn't disappoint you! Looking forward to your comments in the reviews! I love y'all!


	3. Chapter 3: A lot of firsts

Alright! I'm back! Well, thank you once again for the heart warming reviews that I read all the time (especially in trains and giggle, making everyone look at me and wonder if I'm okay in the head.) No, really thank you so much!

Let's answer a question now !

Q. This story is interesting and I agree with the others,your writing is very good.

Awwwee Ukitake is just so sweet and supportive to Rukia. Just curious on why Byakuya is cold towards Rukia.

I'm so looking forward to read the next chapter :)

 **My reply** : First of all, thank you so much! *Jumps up and down*

Let me narrate an incident that actually happened.

 **Me:** *stares at all the bleach characters* Hmm, who do I use as the father figure?

 **Ukitake** : *Peeking out of the corner with a grin*

 **Me:** Yamamoto? No, that doesn't seem right at all! I want him to dote on her.

 **Ukitake** : *Comes closer, waving his hands in my face.*

 **Me** : Uhh, I could even use Hitsugaya, but he's too young.

 **Ukitake** : *Punches me in the face* IT'S ME DAMMIT! *Turns to Rukia* Let's go Kuchiki.

 **Rukia** : *Looks at my injured self* What about her?

 **Ukitake** : Never mind her. Sinners must be punished. *Pulls Rukia away.*

XD And now I'm getting to the point (sorry,sorry!)

Byakuya being cold to Rukia... spoilers! I can't answer that yet, the story will do that for you (hopefully), so sorry? However I can tell you this much, that the reason Rukia 'thinks' Byakuya hates her is far different from what it actually is.

Thank you for commenting! Y'all can ask me anything you're confused about, since it's my job as a writer to clear it out!

Thank you for reading and let's get on with it!

(Prior Warning : This chapter is really long.)

* * *

 **Chapter 3 : A lot of firsts**

 _That's one hell of a house_ , Ichigo thought to himself.

After four months of a tiresome journey, he had somehow reached his destination. Ichigo looked around him in awe. The village he hailed from wasn't even half as big as this one house seemed to be.

He walked on the seemingly endless carpet of grass, unable to see any humans for as far as his eyes could reach.

And then he heard one.

"Okay, now put your leg up like this!"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. He followed the voice of the person- man,to be more specific- who seemed to be giving instructions of some sort.

"Now, your hands!"

In front of him was a person, a good 6 feet tall with salmon - or to be brutally honest - hot pink coloured hair. The boy, who had never really liked his striking orange hair himself, now suddenly felt very proud.

At least he was a carrot top, and not a rose bush.

But what made Ichigo stare at the man wasn't the colour of his hair, nor was it his strangely hoarse voice, it was his...well, position.

He stood tall, his arms parallel to his head, joined above it and his right leg raised slightly off the ground. He maintained his balance flawlessly, distributing his body weight on the large surface of his feet. All of this in front of a dozen gaping children.

The man turned to look at Ichigo, having sensed someone watching him.

"What are you staring at?" He asked, rather rudely for someone in a noble house, not that the boy cared. He was more comfortable that way anyway.

"Nothing really," Ichigo said, scratching the back of his neck. "Just wondering if you know how ridiculous you look right now."

The boy could see the change of colour in the man's face, from his natural wheatish complexion to an alarming shade of red. "What did you say?!" He yelled out, the pitch of his voice spiking high enough to tear the boy's eardrums.

Somehow, in their short meeting, this person reminded Ichigo of his father - which by the way- was absolutely not a compliment.

"Look at the kid's faces... That should tell you better." The man looked down quizzically at the bunch of kids who were all desperately trying to hold back their giggles.

And failing at it.

And he had wasted his time trying to help them too!

The children scurried away, having been found out, leaving an annoyed senior swearing revenge.

But right now, he had something more important to deal with.

"So," he said, turning to take a good look at the strange guest in the house, his tone more serious.

"What are you doing here?"

It was rather rare for him to see an outsider waltzing into the house of nobility.

"Work." Ichigo answered in monotone. He needed to conserve energy.

"Well," the man said, massaging his aching temples with one hand. He had always prefered to avoid contact with people if not necessary, since to him, striking a conversation was too much of a pain.

"Next time, come through the main gate." Ichigo tilted his head to one side in evident confusion.

"This isn't the main gate?"

The man stayed silent for a whole minute, staring at the boy. He then slowly turned his head in the direction of the massive structure behind him and Ichigo followed his gaze. Not one opening, not one door was in sight.

They were at the back of the house.

He turned to look at Ichigo, who rubbed the back of his head in embarrassement.

"Does it look like it?"

He let out an awkward laugh.

Sighing audibly, the man turned around in the direction of the house.

"Follow me." He said, before proceeding to walk on ahead with the stranger following shortly.

Ichigo stood at the front of the house, gaping at the large mansion, towering over him as if attempting to intimidate him. The cream coloured structure shined as the sun beat down on it, causing him to have to squint. Uniquely twisted fencing kept the house enclosed, neatly trimmed hedges surrounded the house. The roof was peaked, slanting down at an angle and the windows had a royal feel to it.

As he stepped past the wild grassy ground onto the soft bed of soil,he noticed a marble fountain sitting to his right side. A sculpture of a woman holding a flower was perched on top, looking up towards the sky. Water spurted from its other hand, which lay gently out in front of it, as if waiting for someone to take it in return. The water fell gently towards the crystal blue pool beneath it, causing ripples to form and wave out until they were no more.

The main axis of the house seemed to split, radiating into five different directions, wooden ledges leading to what Ichigo guessed was the main hall.

"Do you have a staring problem?" The man who still hadn't introduced himself said standing next to him, his hands folded over his chest. It was only then that Ichigo noticed that he was carrying a sword on the waist belt of what seemed to be training attire.

And the only people who were allowed to carry weapons were...

"Are you a samurai?"

Scrunching up his nose in annoyance, the man looked at Ichigo.

 _He'd only just realised?_ "Damn right I am!" He answered, tapping the holder of the sword.

Opening his bag, Ichigo took out the scroll he'd been handed out by the Daimyo. Maybe this man would know something about it.

His eyes widened at the sight of the scroll. He snatched it from Ichigo's hands and ran his fingers over the strange seal on it.

"This is..."

"That fat old man gave it to me before sending me on this cursed journey. " Ichigo said, shaking his head in annoyance.

That idiotic haggard.

Ichigo turned to look at the man in front of him, who only kept staring at the scroll.

"Oi!" He said, waving his hand in front of the Samurai's face. He snapped out of his thoughts, seemingly still in a daze. Grabbing the younger boy's hand, he climbed up the ledge and walked straight ahead, which just went to show how well he knew this house.

After quite a while of dragging a displeased Ichigo, he finally stopped in front of a room .

"Wait here." He said walking into the room and shutting the door behind him without even excusing himself, leaving a very perplexed guest alone.

"Commander Ukitake!"

The man looked up from the scrolls he was reading at the perturbed man.

"What is it, Lieutenant Abarai ? Why the abnormal rush?" He said, quietly rolling the scrolls and placing them into a cylindrical container.

The ex commander's calm temperament never failed to surprise the captain. Looking at his usually sweet attitude, nobody would believe how strong a warrior he really was.

To be honest, nobody would believe he could even swat a fly.

"Look at this!" He said, thrusting the scroll in his senior's face.

After a second of analyzing what it was he looked up at his junior. "Help has arrived?" He asked, walking out of the room.

Ichigo who had been waiting there for a good 5 minutes now turned to face the commander.

"Oh, is this him?"

The boy glared at the lieutenant, standing behind this other person and simply looked away.

"Yes."

Ukitake went ahead and shook hands with a flabbergasted Ichigo, who just remained silent.

"I'm Jushiro Ukitake, an ex commander and current teacher to newbie samurais!" The excited beautiful person in front of him smiled from ear to ear .

Ichigo took in the older man's form, his wide shoulders seemed heavy with burdens of many lives and the scar on his left hand only further proved it.

"Which rank of a samurai are you?"

The question hung in the air as Ichigo stupidly stared at the two men.

"Samurais have ranks?" He asked, looking in between the two men.

There was a whole minute of silence.

Ukitake blinked and Captain Abarai scoffed.

"I see you haven't been told anything about...anything." the older man said breaking the awkward silence.

Ichigo pointed at the scroll in the captain's hand.

"All I was given was this scroll. I wasn't told anything apart from the fact that I had to become a samurai."

Ukitake took the scroll in his hand.

"Oh dear...Yes, that would explain the lack of weapons." Ichigo shrugged, pulling the bag on his shoulders higher up. It wasn't as if he enjoyed being pushed around.

Ukitake unrolled the scroll to have a look at what it said. When he did read it however, it became almost impossible to mask his shock.

The captain, who was watching him in silence, now peeked at what was written. And boy was he surprised!

Both of them looked up at Ichigo at the same time astounded at what it said.

"How can this be?" The captain exclaimed, the older long haired man in front of him just looked half frozen. Ichigo snatched the scroll from his hands and looked down at it. There, in clear words was written:

 ** _Kurosaki Ichigo_**

 ** _Rank: Major General_**

Ichigo blinked in disbelief. Huh?

Wasn't that a very high rank?

"How can someone that knows nothing about Samurais be given such a high rank?"

Ukitake looked up at fuming captain, clearly not understanding very much himself.

"There's only one way to figure out..."

Apparently realising what the ex commander meant, the captain spun on his heels motioning Ichigo to follow him wherever it was he was headed to.

Great! More walking, Ichigo thought to himself.

Just when he thought he could rest.

After skipping about four rooms, he stopped in front of one and pulled the door open.

It was a tiny 10 by 10 cubicle which seemed to be really dusty, judging by the smell in the air and not to mention, really really dark.

That was ofcourse, until the lanterns were lit.

Reflecting the light from all the corners and against every wall of the room were different shapes and sizes of weapons.

"Oi,you damned shopkeeper! Maintain this place for God's sake!" Screamed the displeased captain. Every time he came here,he swore, this room was a mess.

Ichigo turned his head in all directions, looking around for anything slightly...well, human in the room.

The only thing he could hear was...silence.

But that didn't last long, when the ground under Ichigo's feet began to wobble, as if something was trapped and trying to escape.

Ichigo moved two steps back, eyeing the floor cautiously.

And just as he thought, something did come out. Except it wasn't even half of what the boy had expected.

From underneath the floorboard a strange structure could be seen, jade in colour with stripes.

And then a hand followed.

"If it isn't Lietenant Abarai!" Emerging from what looked like a basement now completely coming into view was a man, the jade structure being the hat that sat on top of his head, strands of dirty blonde hair peeking from under it.

He looked at Ichigo,raising his eyebrow ever so slightly. "How rare of you to bring a guest!" His cheery voice echoed in the soulless room.

Urahara Keisuke, one of the best warriors of his time, he now lived a peaceful retired life satisfied with his tiny job as a shopkeeper. He was a shrewd man, no matter how nice he looked and most of the people knew better than to go to him for just browsing items. You'd definitely end up spending your coins on a pile of garbage that you never would really use.

But then again, he was good businessman and most of the times, he got the work done.

The lietenant looked over his shoulders at the boy who's eyes moved from one article to another, like a butterfly deciding which flower to sit on.

"Take your pick." He said, moving aside to let the boy have a better view of everything that the shop had to offer. Ichigo walked to the centre of the room in a daze, skimming over the variety of ammunition. At his silence, the commander continued to explain.

"Samurai's of higher rank are allowed to carry two swords,one long and one short,so hurry up and -"

"I don't need two." Ichigo replied, who had been staring only at a particular corner of the room for a while now.

Walking over to the exact place, he stopped at a foots distance from his choice.

Ichigo ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the blade that was probsbly made from a metal that he hadn't even heard of before. It was giant,matching his height. But what made it stand out to the boy out of all the other swords in the room was it's unique shape. It resembled a kitchen knife, with a very sharp tip and a very wide curved body. It almost seemed to him as if it was calling to him,as if it asked to be held.

And Ichigo obliged.

Grabbing it by it's handle, since it strangely had no hilt, he hoisted it off the ground and in front of him. It was on the heavier side, the grip a little weak.

But it suited ichigo just right.

"I'll have this one." He said, turning to look at the two men in the room.

The lieutenant snickered. Anyone who knew even the basics of sword fighting knew better than to pick up a fancy looking sword. The points taken into consideration while choosing should be height, weight and girth, all of which this strange sword seemed to defy.

While the captain was basking in his superiority, Urahara watched the boy with a keen eye. For anyone to choose a sword without a hilt was rare, since it could not facilitate easy wielding in most situations. And choosing only one sword in itself was a huge risk, given in a situation where you're surrounded, you can barely protect yourself. He had only ever had one other customer ever choose that alternative.

 _Interesting_ , he thought as he moved aside, watching to boy leave through the door.

 _Very very interesting._

* * *

After exiting the storehouse, since calling it anything better did not make sense to him, Ichigo met the ex commander, who gazed at the sword.

"That is quite the choice of weaponry." He said, catching a glimpse of the large sword that covered his back and was now covered in a roll of cloth.

"There's no need to waste time in pleasantries, commander," the lieutenant said, stepping down from the wooden floor onto the soil below.

"Let's get started."

Ichigo looked from the smirking lieutenant to the worried ex commander.

"Exactly what are we doing?"

The lieutenant wielded his sword.

"You're going to fight me, ofcourse."

Ichigo blinked in confusion.

Fight him?

"What? Why?! Why should I have to fight you?!" Ichigo said, pointing to the man in front of him.

"Besides, you're a damn lieutenant!"

"Yes,I am," the man replied, spinning the weapon in his hand with the hilt.

"And you're supposedly a major general."

Ichigo opened his mouth to say something and realising that he had no say to defy this person, he shut it.

He stepped down to where the man was standing and with the handle of his sword, he pulled it to his front.

Sweat covered his brow, his heart beating in nervous energy. What if it was just a slip up by the Daimyo?

If he died here, Ichigo swore he'd haunt that bastard all his life, which would be over.

But well, that wasn't really important.

"Take your stance." The lieutenant said, watching Ichigo struggle to even retain his balance.

 _Full of openings_ , he thought, analysing his opponent with professionalism.

For someone like him, who had been working so hard to become a samurai all his life, meeting someone who couldn't care less about being one was an insult.

And he didn't like it one bit.

"Come." He raised his sword in front of him, to defend himself from any attacks.

"You come," Ichigo said, keeping his cool even as his legs trembled.

"You're the one who challenged me."

And that's all it took to send the samurai into a fit of insane rage.

He attacked the boy with unmatchable speed, as if ready to send him flying across the globe.

But Ichigo wasn't one to lose. He parried the attack successfully, and with all the force his muscles could build up, he pushed the man off of him, swinging his sword as hard as he could.

Before he could lose his footing, the lieutenant jumped back, landing a good metre away from the sweating boy.

Ichigo breathed heavily, his muscles already tensing up. Every part of his body shuddered, feeling the force of the attack.

 _Good reflexes_ , the lieutenant concluded, _but terrible control on his sword._

He charged once again, this time hitting the boy in the places he could not defend. The sword he held was only good at long range, while at a short distance, he was sure to lose.

The lieutenant overpowered Ichigo, who stumbled a few steps back, the spot where he had been hit now spilling blood. It stung, like a million needles had just pierced his belly. Simultaneously.

The lieutenant smirked. There was no way this boy could even lay a finger on him.

Injure him a little bit, and send him back, that's what he was determined to do.

Ichigo's vision began to blur, as he staggered, losing his ability to stand straight.

It was painful, really really painful.

But then why was he so excited?

He felt an adrenaline rush, every cell in his body vibrating, as though they had lived for the first time.

He was enjoying this.

Without him realising it, his face broke out into a smile.

The lieutenant's breath hitched and a chill ran down his spine. What was that expression?

He charged at Ichigo, tearing up more and more of his skin, until he could barely see any part of his body that wasn't painted red.

Yet, he didn't budge.

The lieutenant had never seen a newbie with such determination. He had always considered himself to be the only one who worked his hardest to win.

Looking at the boy, who was bleeding profusely, he was reminded of himself, who lost again and again to the one person he kept challenging.

"Analysing your opponent is the key to winning," he said, looking away from the boy for a second.

"If you don't understand your opponents weakness, you'll never be able to beat him."

He wouldn't give his opponent time to think, ofcourse, so he charged to the boy who just stood there, unmoving.

It was the end, the lieutenant told himself. He'd pierce the sword a little away from the centre of Ichigo's body, just to throw out the fact that he'd die if he would not have gone easy on him.

However, he failed to notice the devilish smile that now sat on the boy's face.

Thrusting the sword with all his might, the lieutenant pushed it into his opponent, putting an end to his trials.

However, instead of falling down once the sword had ripped his abdomen apart, he held it inside of him with his hand, now looking into the lieutenant's eyes.

The man froze. Those eyes did not speak fear as the lieutenant had expected. It said, no, it screamed confidence.

His grip on the blade tightening, Ichigo held the sword in place, piercing his body, it's tip still inside. The lieutenant who by now seemed to be loosing his calm, struggled to pull the sword away in vain.

"You're wrong, lieutenant," Ichigo said, an insane smile accompanying his strong words.

"I don't need to analyse you at all."

The lieutenant never thought he'd be in such a fix. To be pushed around like so by a newbie?

His ego would never allow it. He'd have to use it. With one hand holding his long sword, he put his hand on the other, ready to pull it out.

Which didn't happen .

Ichigo used his the hand that had held his sword that now fell to the floor to hold the lieutenant's hand on his short sword down , restricting him from pulling it out.

"I just need to find your blindspot."

Eyes wide in fear, he pulled the sword out, pushing on the ground below him and jumping two feet away from the seemingly insane man.

What was happening?

There was no way, he thought, every nerve of his body awake in alarm. There was no way this boy could have sensed his shortcoming.

Ichigo flexed his neck muscles, blood trickling down his face. Bending down, he picked up his fallen sword.

"You assumed that I wouldn't be able to carry this heavy a sword with one hand, so in close range, my defense would be weak. But you couldn't be more wrong." He couldn't muster any words to counter his thinking.

He was right, completely right.

Ichigo tossed his sword from one hand to the other with ease. "I don't need two hands to hold this."

The lieutenant's hands shook in surprise. How?

"Your own backup is your second sword, that you wouldn't take out unless you were in a dire situation. So I figured, if I surprise you a little bit, you'd have no choice but to reach for it. "

Everything had worked out the say this boy had planned. Even though he was more cut up, more bruised, how was he winning?

"Now then," he said, taking his sword and raising his arm away from his body, in a position ready to charge. His eyes turned dark, his smile morphing into one of undefeatable seriousness.

"Let me give you everything I have."

The lieutenant had but a second to act, somehow managing to block the force of the large sword in between the two of his own. The force pushed the lieutenant back, who looked plain horrified.

Without prior warning of any sort, Ichigo pushed the man with a clean strike of his sword and charged once again.

The lieutenant, who still hadn't had time to regain his balance and had lost his other sword that fell a few feet away, raised the remaining one in a weak attempt to defend himself with one hand.

Ichigo was ready, putting all the strength left in him into this one attack.

The senior shut his eyes in despair. He would rather die by this one blade than live in the shame of being beaten by some damn villager.

But nothing happened.

He cracked open his eyes, only to see the former commander standing before him, one hand down by his side and the other, stopping Ichigo's blade.

He had stopped the force of a blade with his bare hand.

Ichigo stumbled back, the sword falling out of his hand and himself falling on the floor. He had used up way too much energy.

"That was more than enough." Ukitake said, looking at both the incapacitated men before him.

"That was too much force, lieutenant," he said sternly to his junior who simply looked at the ground.

"As for you," he said, now turning to Ichigo who wiped the blood dripping down the side of his face.

"You're not here to kill your allies."

He was right though, Ichigo thought to himself. He had gone too far.

"Abarai Renji." Ichigo looked up at the lieutenant, who got up on his feet and offered a hand to Ichigo, who had been a worthy opponent.

Ichigo accepted it and the man pulled him up. He shook his hand, smiling at the man before him who had fought brilliantly.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ukitake looked in between the two men and sighed.

So it was true, Ichigo thought to himself.

Men really did talk fists.

Well, in their case, swords.

* * *

After fixing up his messed up state and soaking in a quick bath, Ichigo was headed somewhere that the two men would be taking him.

"This house, as you must have heard is one of the top in everything, from army to economy." Ukitake started explaining to Ichigo who was analysing the wierd robe he was given. Apparently this was what Samurais wore.

"The main reason we're so perfect is because the head of our family manages everything efficiently. " He said proudly." Even every grain of rice is chosen meticulously."

Ichigo nodded in awe. How much ever he had seen of the house, it really was pretty damn perfect. But he couldn't be one to judge ofcourse, since he hadn't really seen any other houses himself.

"So, where is this 'meticulous and perfect' head of the family?" He asked, adjusting the part of the cloth around his neck.

"That's exactly whom we're going to see now." Renji said, a strange ring to his voice.

He sounded...annoyed?

"Who's the new person with you, commander?" A voice came from somewhere behind them. Ichigo turned and looked around, unable to see anyone.

"Ah! Here you are! We were just heading to meet you!" Ukitake said, his normally calm voice now extremely cheery.

"Kurosaki Ichigo,"he said, resting his hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Meet the head of the family, the one I was telling you about!"

Ichigo looked left and right, still not understanding where this amazing personality he spoke of was at.

"Where do you think you're looking?" He heard. Ichigo looked down in front of him. There was a person standing, one eyebrow raised and an annoyed expression on their face.

"Who's this?" Ichigo asked, pointing down at him.

"What are you saying? This is the person I've been telling you about!" Ukitake said in surprise. Renji sweat dropped. He didn't blame Ichigo for not understanding, he hadn't either when he first came here.

"This is the head of the Kuchiki Clan!"

A soft breeze blew, taking away the words and replacing it with a momentary silence, while also blowing away every expectation of the brilliant head that Ichigo had.

"THIS MIDGET?!"

* * *

There you go! Im sorry for the delay, I'm currently juggling 3 other fics, quite literally like a clown. I'm sorry this was long and well, no romance. Like I had already warned, I did not just want to write a boring romance fic and so these chapters are necessary to set the mood. The more you long for romance, the better it is when you get it. Ofcourse, we never got it in bleach *buries self* But don't you worry! I'm gonna give you a ton of romance! I hope you liked it and keep reading.

Don't forget to review. I love y'all!smil


	4. Chapter 4: Commencement

Hello again!

Thank you so much for the beautiful reviews! It makes me so happy to know that you love this alternate bleach fantasy world I cooked up due to my obsession with bleach and dissatisfaction over the ending. *cries in a corner*

Well, let's get to the questions!

 **Q.** hi, im the guest that you replied to in the first chapter. thanks for repsonding to my question! i really look forward to seeing where this story is going, and what role the american influences will play. the past two updates were really good! thank you for your hard work. i was also wondering, is hisana rukia's sister or mother in the story? and dpes byakuya have special feelings for hisana?

 **My reply** : Hello there, thank you for reading and reviewing and I'm glad you liked it! And to answer your first question, if you go over the chapter again, in one place I have mention 'caretaker'. It necessarily doesnt have to mean mother or sister, just someone who stayed with her. Also, any further information would be spoilerish, though I'm not very sure if many you will understand the tiny detail I've left about this in this very chapter. It's not really important, but once you understand it, it kind of hits you (I love Easter eggs )

And the second question, yes. Yes ofcourse! With Byakuya crying (sorry sorry!) i wanted to convey his agony over Hisana's death and by Rukia seeing him, I wanted to convey her realising that she wasn't the only person suffering.

Thank you for commenting y'all I love you guys !

Now then, let it rip!

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Commencement.**

Ichigo's words hung in the air, as every bird flying in the blue sky refrained from making any sound whatsoever. You could hardly blame them, for the air was full of a dangerous scent.

A murderous one to be more exact.

Renji pinched Ichigo from behind him, making funny facial expressions to indicate to him that the subject he had breached was one he should not have.

The boy, however remained completely oblivious.

"How can this midget be the head of a house? He doesn't even look like he can carry a scroll!" he said pointing at the young lord in front of him, his eyebrows twitching.

Ichigo had a milisecond to register what was happening as he watched the petit person before him whip his leg in the air in one swift motion, his foot now a mere centimeter from Ichigo's face.

Rukia did seem too tiny for her rank, but that did not mean she hadn't earned it by proving herself. And she did not take lightly to anyone thinking otherwise.

"If you ever repeat that word in front of me,I will make sure the insides of your head paint the walls. Am I understood ?" she said, in a rather threatening tone, her eyes narrowing into thin slits.

Ichigo nodded as best as he could, her thin toes like knives to his throat. What other choice did he have?

Accepting his nod as a sign of agreement, Rukia brought her leg down, straightening her messed up robe, that was about the same pattern as theirs, only a bit more sharp.

Ukitake coughed audibly in an attempt to draw attention to more important matters.

"Young Lord," he said, bowing to her in respect,as if denying the fact that they were close at all. In a way it did annoy him, but it was what she had asked of him and he had long since known that he knew not how to refuse her.

"This is the help that has arrived from the North." Ukitake pointed, beckoning Ichigo to step forward. For the first time in that day, Rukia really looked at Ichigo, taking in his appearance.

He was a good two heads taller than her, with strong muscular arms that were hiddeb under his garb and a lean body. His brown eyes peered at her questioningly and his hair, spiky, sticking out from all sides,as messy as could be. But there was one thing out of all that struck her.

It was orange.

Her eyes wide in shock, the reality of the moment now dawned on Rukia.

This was the same boy.

Ichigo realised her look of surprise and he himself couldn't shake off the feeling that he had seen this person somewhere before. But he had never been this far from his home, then where?

As fast as her reaction came, with the same speed, it disappeared.

"Oh?" She said, her eyes now on Commander Ukitake. "So, for what were you coming to me? Aren't you supposed to follow the normal procedures?" She asked, her usual serious demeanor back in place.

"Well, you see," Ukitake began, his brow now covered in perspiration. Convincing Rukia was one of the- if not "the" - most difficult jobs and because he was of the highest rank and had known her best since she was a child, he had been given the job.

"We received another one of these."

He now stepped forward, handing out a scroll to Rukia. She met his eyes for a second, as if asking him what the contents were. He didn't reply, simply looking away. Rukia untied the tiny ribbon that sealed it and pulled it open, holding it between her two hands to see what it said.

All three men watched in silence, one of them clueless to the matter at hand, another half aware and the last, clenching his fists.

Rukia scanned the reading over four times and the now impatient new recruit tapped his foot on the wooden floor in annoyance. Why did he have to be here?

"I see," Rukia said, rolling it back and handing it to the commander.

"So you want me to take him with me."

"Precisely." Ukitake replied, joining his hands in concern. "I cannot accompany you due to my declining health and I will never know peace if I let you go all by yourself."

Rukia stood in silence for a minute and then sighed. "And what beautiful bond of trust you have built in half a day worth of conversing I cannot fathom." She said, rolling the scroll again and looking in between the two of them.

"Ofcourse, I won't send you alone with him!" He said, offended by her accusations. He motioned to the lieutenant, who's jaw dropped in surprise. "I'll assign this duty to the lieutenant so he shall accompany you as well."

"Excuse me, commander," Renji began, looking at Ukitake with wide eyes. "I am a lieutenant, not an escort!" He hadn't worked so hard to earn his rank only to follow this soulless person around, after all.

"Yes,I'm fully aware of that. " Ukitake said in a stern voice. "But the entire point of our armed forces would be nullified if we let our leader walk into the lion's den!"

Renji's lips pursed into a thin line, his dissatisfaction apparent in his behavior. Ichigo on the other hand, scratched his head in confusion not understanding a single bit of their conversation.

"Excuse me," he said interrupting their exchange of words. "What is all this about exactly ?"

Ukitake now turned his attention to the young boy. He put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Your first assignment."

* * *

"What is commander thinking?!" Renji screamed for the umpteenth time, banging his clay plate on the tiny stool placed on the floor. In just half a day of having known this man, Ichigo could discern that he talked nineteen to the dozen.

He sighed, quietly chewing the bread that was provided to him. The food was surprisingly delicious and given that it was for the workers, it was pretty damn good. To think that some little brat is the reason behind this, he thought to himself, eyeing the piece of bread as if it were poison.

"Are you listening to me, Kurosaki Ichigo?" The boy rolled his eyes in frustration, looking up at his red faced colleague. "I hardly think I can miss it. You've been repeating the same thing again and again." He replied, biting into tiny piece of ohagi that had been served to him as desert. "But it's not fair!"

 _And here we go again._ _Ichigo_ shook his head in frustration.

To him, it hardly mattered what he was to do, since he had no choice anyway. And he had no reason to complain,he was getting good food and shelter and his rank was something he didn't seem to care about.

"Now care to explain what this matter your fussing over is about? What is this escorting mission?" Renji put down his cup of tea, and sighed. Explaining was not his forté and he'd done more than enough of his whole life's share since dawn.

Seems like it still wasn't over for him.

"Recently, in the past few weeks or so, we've been receiving constant threats from someone." He said, tracing the rim of the saucer on which his cup sat.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Threats? Of what sort?"

"Well, that's the problem, you see, they're completely obscure." The younger boy nodded his head in understanding. He had heard of this being quite a usual occurrence with the nobility.

"The readings I haven't seen myself, but they seem to be really strange threats that only high ranking officials like the commander and myself are aware of. And in order to defend himself and his family from any harm, the young lord wishes to request assistance from some of our allies."

"Other noble families?" Ichigo asked, sipping his tea.

"No. There would be no worse humiliation than asking help from someone your own rank." Every word that Ichigo heard reminded him why he loved his silent family life back in his hometown, but then again, he no longer had a choice.

"They are other distinguished families, with strong warriors and due to the amount of help that our leader has provided to them, they are indebted to him."

 _A favour does work both ways after all_ , Ichigo thought.

"But there is a likelihood that someone might attack him on his way," Renji said, his hands resting on the table.

"So his advisors wish for someone to accompany him given the fact that no one has ever reported to have seen him fight."

Ichigo understood the matter. The leader may be pretty amazing at economics and other businesses,but he could not protect himself. And why would he need to anyway? After all, he had a massive army of soldiers under his command.

So the proposal seemed agreeable to Ichigo; protecting weak people was his duty not only as a samurai, but as a man too.

* * *

It was already late evening by the time the two men walked to their quarters from the common hall.

They were headed away from the path through which he had come. The forest was as dark and gloomy as Ichigo remembered it and his mind wandered back to the previous night.

He glanced at his new acquaintance.

"Hey Renji," Ichigo said, calling him by his name for the first time, not that Lieutenant minded.

"Have you ever seen a woman in that forest?" He said. Renji stared at Ichigo, his eyes as wide as a saucer.

"I wouldn't know," he said, shrugging at the boy's question. " Nobody ever goes there."

"Why?" Ichigo asked in surprise. No wonder it seemed so gloomy.

"A folk tale says," he began narrating and Ichigo paid attention in silence. "That a woman from this house had died."

 _Died?_

"But due to a certain attachment to that place, she stills roams there, every night, singing songs in a language we don't understand."

Ichigo struck a look of disbelief at which Renji chuckled. Putting his hand around Ichigo's shoulder, he whispered , "Why, have you seen her?"

Ichigo was now at a loss for words.

"I'm not so sure anymore..." he replied, still lost in his thoughts.

* * *

Ichigo lied down on the tatami matted floor next to Renji, his hands cushioning his head and his eyes sealed shut to the outside world. No, he thought to himself. She wasn't a ghost, after all ghosts certainly can't pick fruits or touch humans like she had done him.

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked out the low window. It was a silent moonlit night, the stars twinkling in the sky like small lanterns.

The reality of the woman he'd seen, he wanted to know. And being Ichigo, he did just that.

Rukia walked through the woods, her soft footfalls, the only sound in the darkness. Offcourse, the silence wasn't unwelcome, she enjoyed it more than she should have. From afar,she could see the lake in all its glory, shining as though it had swallowed the moon itself.

She stood admiring it, her hands folded neatly in front of her by her waist, but her mind seemed to be completely elsewhere.

Her encounter with that person, had it been fate?

He was perhaps the first person to have seen her hidden self apart from the people who already knew and she couldn't help but think that it would lead to a terrible outcome.

Or a brilliant one.

Did he remember? Did he remember seeing her?

Rukia hummed the tune in silence, singing to the trees, the wind, the water, the Earth. Small ripples formed in the lake making a soft sound, as if encouraging her to continue. Rukia didn't however, as she soon realised something.

"Etiquette demands you make your presence known," she said, her eyes shut and a small smile adorning her face. Her voice was mature and sweet, like nectar to a butterfly.

"It's hardly good manners to watch a woman without her consent."

There was no reply for a while, and Rukia stayed quiet. She knew someone was there.

"I don't understand the nobility's way of living." A voice came from behind. Ichigo sat, unmoving from his position behind the tree, with his back leaning against it and him facing away from her.

 _It's him again_ , Rukia thought to herself, smiling.

"Why do you simply assume I belong to nobility?" She asked, sounding amused.

"Those robes don't look like something a commoner would wear." Came his reply. It was the first time in her life that she had had a normal conversation with a stranger as herself.

"You may be right." Rukia voiced, looking down at her clothes. It was her last link to Hisana, she used to wear it when she was alive.

Ichigo hoisted himself off the ground, now standing up to look at the woman.

Raven locks cascaded down her back highlighting her thin and tiny frame. He couldn't see her face however; it seemed to be covered by a veil.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice as low as could be.

"Trying to find out if you're a ghost." He replied and Rukia let out a small laugh.

"And what do you conclude?" She asked glancing at him, his face looked sharp, his chiseled jaw reflecting the moonlight.

"Definitely not a ghost. Are you the one who made those rumors up?"

Rukia shook her head in denial.

"People spread them on their own. But perhaps I did ignite the spark." Her childish giggle reached Ichigo's ears as she motioned to her body.

"Are you from the Kuchiki Clan? " He went ahead and asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. After all, she was standing on their property.

Rukia looked up at the moonlit sky, breathing in the fragrance the air provided.

"I am not." She replied, an unbearable pain in her voice.

 _She seems to be suffering._

"I was disowned by my own father and the family at birth." Ichigo's eyes widened.

 _A parent had disowned their child?_

"I-I'm sorry.." he whispered sadly. The boy didn't really understand how to console someone so there was an awkward silence for a while. After a minute or so ,looking up at her, he asked,

"But why?"

Rukia clenched her waist belt, memories of her entire life flooding her the pain, all the suffering, all of boiled down to just one thing, one reason, one fault.

"Because I was born a female."

Ichigo gasped in shock.

Just that? That was the reason she was shunned by her own family?

 _How disgusting._

"And nobody stood by you? Nobody tried to help you?"

"Nobody knew," the dark haired girl said, as crickets sang, bringing the forest to life.

"I never even existed to begin with. I'm just a ghost, a folk tale as people say. And it's better this way."

If life had been cruel to Ichigo, it had been a hundred times worse to her.

"This place," she said, closing her eyes and feeling the wind tickle her skin.

"This is the only place I'm free; the only place I'm alive."

The orange haired boy didn't understand the significance behind her words, but Rukia hadn't lied one bit about anything.

She was shunned as a woman by her family, forever suffering, being forced to live as a man because they couldn't accept a female heading the family.

It truly was disgusting.

" So you keep coming here because..." he trailed off, awaiting her answer.

"Memories."

Ichigo simply nodded his head. He understood what she wanted to convey.

 _Don't tell anyone about this place._

Rukia took two steps away from the lake and for the first time, turned around to face Ichigo, a breeze blew by as if trying to kiss the silence away.

Ichigo watched the woman, her hair blowing in the wind and her head bent low, as if avoiding eye contact with him, even through the veil.

She looked so serene.

"That song.." he said, still captivated by her beauty.

"It's also a memory from a long time ago that I treasure." She said to him.

"Someday I'll tell you the story." Rukia looked up at the sky, the shades changing from a dark black to blush red.

"It's beginning to get late now. I must take my leave." Saying so, she took two steps to her side, vanishing into the massive jungle.

"Goodbye stranger." were the last words Ichigo had heard from her.

"Wait!" he screamed, trying to follow the woman, but alas, by the time he reached, she had disappeared, almost as if the forest had engulfed her; her and her entire existence.

He didn't understand, he didn't understand anything at all, but he swore to remember her.

Even if to the world she didn't exist, he had seen her and he had spoken to her. He'd keep coming to see her, meet her, not leave her alone.

He didn't know why he didn't just leave it alone, but he couldn't.

"Goodbye." He said one last time, before walking back to the house.

Rukia, sat above the tree watching Ichigo in silence, a smile decorating her beautiful features.

"Kurosaki Ichigo.." she thought to herself, now looking at the moon.

It really was a beautiful night.

* * *

At the break of dawn, Renji had shaken him awake, and the boy who had been tossing and turning for the next half hour or so thanks to lack of sleep, finally woke up.

After a quick wash, he walked out to see Renji all dressed and ready.

"Hurry up Ichigo," he said, adjusting his belt so his sword hung comfortably. "We have to leave."

Ichigo mumbled something along the lines of 'yeah,yeah' before heading back into his room.

Picking up his sword, he used a sling provided to him by the sandal-hat shopkeeper - since he couldn't remember his name - to carry it on his back.

Stepping out once more into the daylight, he walked over to where Renji was giving instructions to the men that seemed to be under him.

"Are the two of you ready?" A voice came from behind them. They turned around to see the Young Lord, followed by commander Ukitake walk up to them. Rukia carried a small satchel, dressed in her usual clothes.

Renji and Ichigo looked at each other, nodding their head slightly, determination driving their movements.

"Yes." They answered in unison.

"Then let's depart immediately." Rukia said, walking ahead of them to the gate.

"Umm, how exactly are we going?" Ichigo questioned. Both Renji and Rukia looked at him as if he had just asked something completely unbelievable.

Which he had.

"What do you mean **how**?" Rukia said, walking to where three horses stood, bending down the minute Rukia touched their heads.

"By horseback, ofcourse!"

Ichigo gulped. He had never really ridden a horse before. Well, he hadn't really fought or gone on a mission before either, but well, he'd learn.

Stepping up in front of the three horses, Ichigo lifted his hand to pet them. Two of them simply began trembling, as though scared.

"You sure have a scary face," Rukia said, holding back her laugh. "Even animals are scared of you."

He ignored her comment, watching as the third stepped forward, nudging it's nose on Ichigo's hand.

"He seems to like you," Renji said, going to where his horse was."But better be careful though, he's really violent."

Ichigo nodded and felt the soft skin of the was beautiful, pure white in colour; an elegant stallion. It seemed to enjoy his attention and Ichigo loved giving it.

He climbed atop of it, and grasped the reigns in his hand.

Rukia watched the boy in silence, admiring how soon he had formed a bond with his horse.

Maybe that was his skill, she thought to herself. Forming bonds with people faster than anybody else.

Ichigo looked down at her from his horse. "Do you need help getting on top?" He asked, offering his hand to her.

She glared at him, taking it as a comment on her height and climbing on her horse with ease. Ichigo simply retracted his hand with a sigh.

The young lord didn't seem to like him.

All the while, Renji simply stiffled his laughter.

Rukia straightened herself on her horse, positioning herself properly.

"This journey isn't going to be fun, or an easy one at all," Rukia said, her voice more stern than usual.

"You might even end up dying. Do you think you're ready for this?"

Renji nodded and Ichigo inhaled deeply.

"I don't really understand much yet, but let's do it anyway!" He said and the others nodded.

This was how he was, the thought to themselves.

Impulsive and courageous, and it suited them just fine.

Rukia glanced at Ukitake who looked troubled, yet lesser than before. Apparently Ichigo was good for his heart.

"Take care." He said to them and stepping aside, he cleared the path for them.

"Hyaah!" Rukia yelled out, pulling the reigns on her horse. The animal rose on two feet with a loud neigh and then pushed off the ground, moving forwards. The two men behind her followed suit, kicking off the ground and out of their safety zone.

Out there, in the world were dangerous enemies that were waiting to kill them. There were dangers they couldn't even think of in their wildest dreams.

So their journey commenced, a place where they'd build new friendships, learn to trust and overcome as many hurdles as life would put before them.

Many difficulties lay in the path ahead of them, the road winds as it pleases to, but they had a silent promise they made to each other. They wouldn't fall down or give up, they'd raise their heads, do nothing but look ahead and keep running forwards!

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you like it! Would love to read your reviews on this. I love y'all


	5. Chapter 5: Beginning of trials

Hello! I've been so pre occupied with my studies and preparation for my parents 23rd wedding anniversary that my brain might just explode, so if this chapter is a little 'mehh..' forgive me.

Also, I just wanted to post this comment I received from one of my readers, that summarizes my intentions in a short paragraph.

(P.S Thank you lightdesired !)

I love the metaphor of Rukia as a ghost here because it relates to the canon fic itself and even here. Rukia is a ghost because she was a shinigami, here because she was a woman; Rukia became morever the ghost that she indeed was, especially during the last arc, her presence severely diminished, the same way that Rukia was forced to live in secrecy here and the same way Rukia only resurrects everytime it's time to promote the series; Rukia being marginalized by the elders here and the same way Rukia was marginalized by the author himself, and now, she's not even the "heroine" because she was only a ghost, an entity meant to be feared, forgotten, like how haters don't like Rukia the character because she was a ghost. But like a ghost too, no matter how kubo diminished Rukia's presence and importance to the story itself, she continues and will continue to haunt everyone, so that they will never forget she ever existed.

Now then, let's get started!

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Beginning of trials.**

"How are you holding up, Ichigo?"

The boy held the reins as lightly as one held a pen and thanks to his reluctance at hurting the animal, there was almost a distance of a meter in between him and his two other companions.

It was uncomfortable, sitting on a horse and Ichigo found himself thinking that he would rather walk than do this ever again.

"I'm good!" He yelled out to Renji, who nodded and turned his eyes to the front. The lad was doing well for his first time on a horse.

"Let's stop here to rest for a while." Rukia said, descending off her horse near a tree and tying it to the trunk.

The two men did likewise and Ichigo sat down, the tres offering good support to his exhausted body.

Renji peered at him and bit back a snicker. This wasn't even the beginning, the pink haired samurai thought to himself.

A sudden rustling of leaves caught the lieutenant's attention.

Renji wasn't sure if he heard right or not, but he was sure something had moved around him. His eyes trailed every corner of the area cautiously. Were they being followed?

"You've realised rather late, Lieutenant," he heard the Lord say as he turned around to face him.

"We've been followed for a very long time."

Ichigo cracked open one eye to look at the two individuals next to him. Did they just say 'followed'?

"Enough of sneaking in the shadows," Rukia called out.

"Come out now you two."

Ichigo got on his feet, his hand reaching for his sword, ready to defend himself if attacked. It wasn't required however, when the two people in question stepped out from behind the trees.

The first of them had hair the colour of the sun, his stature short and lean while the other was larger, with broad shoulders and raven hair.

"Kiyone. Sentaro." Rukia regarded them as they bowed to her.

"We were asked by commander Ukitake to keep a watch on the party of three till the border." Sentaro announced in a rough voice.

"It was supposed to be just me! The commander had asked **me** to keep an eye on them! You just followed me!" The shorter boy said, his hands on his hips and a his thin lips twitching in annoyance.

Ichigo wasn't certain if the person was a man or a woman, but he chose to remain quiet.

In all truth, Kiyone was a female, but just as Rukia masked her identity, Kiyone did too, most men knew she was a woman but paid no heed. Rukia often found herself envious of her trusted friend.

"Shut up! It was I who was told to follow them. I just pitied you and brought you along!" Sentaro bellowed.

"Enough! That is irrelevant." Rukia admonished, sighing. They always fought over the most trivial things.

"Whatever reason would the commander have to send people to tail us after he saw us off himself?" Renji asked, sharpening his blade with an iron sheet he had carried with him. Trouble had rather unpredictable timing and he would rather not be caught unawares.

"For one, there is a stranger accompanying you," Kiyone answered, clearly glaring at Ichigo, conveying her distrust and walking past him to where Rukia stood petting her beautiful black mare.

"And the other because a lone woman with two men is a dangerous situation." She whispered, careful that none of the should hear her.

Rukia sighed.

 _He worries too much_.

It wasn't surprising to her that Kiyone knew her identity, and so did Sentaro. They were Commander Ukitake's trusted men and had never proven themselves unworthy of the affection he showered them with.

The dark haired woman pulled out three carrots from her satchel and handed one each to her companions. Ichigo looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowing.

"The Lord of a noble family can eat such simple eatables ?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. He clearly knew nothing.

"It's not for you. It's for the horses." Ichigo let out an awkward laugh at his misunderstanding while glaring at Renji who was chuckling.

"We are to accompany you only till the border." Sentaro chipped in, leaning against a tree and completely ignoring Ichigo's presence.

"Well, if it's only till the border, I have no reason to stop you." Rukia agreed, keeping at the back of her mind the earful she'd have to give the commander upon her return.

Sentaro walked to where Rukia stood and handed a rolled up cloth to her. She pulled it open. As the cloth cascaded down, it revealed itself.

It was a coat, the colour of mud, very obviously made of some foreign material. But what was strange wasn't it's colour or material.

The cloth itself seemed to be weighed down by something that wasn't visible on the outside.

"I see, thank you." She looked thoughtful for a while before putting her thin arms through the hole that was provided. Ichigo had half a mind to tell the Lord it was too long for him, but he bit back the comment.

He didn't have a death wish.

* * *

After an adequate amount of rest, the party prepared to leave. It was already early afternoon and they still had a long way to go.

Just as they were about to get atop their horses, the animals began neighing loudly and behaving erratically. Ichigo rushed to the creature's side, attempting to calm him down.

None of the rest of them moved.

Before the saffron haired lad could ask them to help however, he heard the head utter three words.

 **"They are here."**

A soft breeze blew by and from the forest, emerged an army of men, their identities concealed by the cloth that was wrapped around their face.

Rukia walked to the front, now standing a few feet away from the men.

"For whom are you working?" She asked. Ichigo watched the Lord in silence. How he could maintain his calm in this dicey a situation was beyond the boy.

The group of five watched the men draw their swords. Ichigo rushed to Rukia's side, pushing her behind him and tugging on the handle of his own sword, as the cloth covering it fell off.

"Renji," Ichigo called to his fellow mate as he saw one of the men charging at him.

"Let's do this!"

Renji ran past him into the crowd, slashing any man that stood in his way with his light and easy to wield sword.

"I don't need you to tell me!"

Ichigo felt the familiar pump of adrenaline rush through his blood, like a drug, setting his nerves on fire.

It was true that Ichigo wasn't used to fighting with swords, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to. He had crushed many a men that tried to woo his sisters. And right now, he had a duty to protect someone.

Ichigo parried his opponent's attack successfully, and with all his might kicked his knee. Once his legs buckled, he stumbled backwards and seeing an opening, Ichigo swung his weapon at him. The man collapsed, tasting utter defeat.

Rukia stood admiring his form, every movement as swift as a tiger about to pounce on it's prey.

"I can understand why Commander Ukitake chose this man to watch over you," Kiyone said, standing next to Rukia as Sentaro fought off all the men that tried to sneak in from behind.

"He fights like a beast that has just been released from a cage."

By the end of a minute, Ichigo and Renji had bare minimum scratches on their bodies and all the men were down.

All except one.

Slow claps resounded the air and everyone halted their movements.

"Well done," the man said, his malicious grin evident in his voice though it wasn't visible.

"You're not an exception!" Renji said, charging at the man, his sword in the position ready stab.

It was a millisecond, just a millisecond, but the man's movement caught Rukia's eye.

Eyes widening in realisation, she panicked.

"GET OUT OF THERE RENJI!"

But it was already too late.

The party watched as the lieutenant felt to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

What had happened? How had it happened?

Nobody understood except Rukia.

As the smell of the familiar metallic fluid hit Ichigo nose, his blood began to boil.

"DAMN YOU TO HELL!" He howled before charging at the man in much the same way.

This time, however he simply dodged the boy's attacks, jumping a few feet away from him.

Ichigo swung his sword around with full force, his aim to slice this man in half.

The man who had injured his friend.

"Stop it!" Rukia screamed running to where Ichigo stood, wiping the blood dripped down the side of his face.

"You can't fight him! That man is.."

The devil before him tugged at the cloth covering his visage and it began to unravel, revealing the face that hid behind it.

"You seemed to have recognized me." He voiced.

Hair as white as the feathers of a dove and a smile that stretched across his face that almost looked like it was carved. There was no mistaking it.

"Ichimaru Gin."

Ichigo glanced at Rukia who had spoken his name.

Who was this person?

"One of the most infamous assassins the world has ever known," Rukia said, almost as if she had heard his thoughts.

"The count of people he has killed is immeasurable."

She had known it was him the minute she laid her eyes on his weapon. He was known to wield only one sword, but the peculiar thing wasn't just that.

The sword he wielded was a short sword, a wakizashi. All it took was a second for him to finish his opponent off,one strike was more than enough.

All in all, an extremely dangerous man.

He took a step forward towards Rukia who stayed rooted to her position.

Ichigo who had lost his footing with exhaustion finally stood up and put one hand in front of Rukia, restricting her from making a move.

"What can you do anymore?" Rukia said, looking at Ichigo, who lifted his sword and just ignored her.

"Renji," he said, looking at the fallen lieutenant, whose face was hidden by locks of his now opened hair.

"You're still alive, right?"

The man shifted slowly, putting his weight on his bleeding knees.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" His voice hoarse, his shaky hands holding the sword as he struggled to regain his balance.

"I won't die from something like this."

Ichigo turned his attention to Rukia who was worried for her comrades' lives. She certainly didn't want them to die on her.

"But-" Rukia tried to convince them to stop, but Ichigo wouldn't hear it.

"Just shut up and let us protect you." He said, no longer looking at her, but at the man he had to defeat.

Ichigo hated fighting, he hated bloodshed and avoided it as much as possible.

But in this situation, he had someone he had to protect and that was exactly what he would do.

He swung his sword and Gin avoided it with ease. From both his sides, Ichigo and Renji attacked and the silver haired fox evaded each one without even moving from his spot.

And without warning, he pulled out his sword for less than a second, drawing blood from both the warriors.

Kiyone and Sentaro clenched their fists in frustration. Even though they wanted to help, they could do nothing, because their priority was Rukia and no one else.

 _"Rukia, try to avoid fights whenever you can, alright?" Hisana_ had said.

Rukia's hand reached for her shoulder, the wound across it aching in memory.

 _"Always let somebody protect you,"_ Ukitake's voice echoed in her mind.

"Dont _ever fight. You are not meant_ _to be on the front line."_

"Shut up and let me protect you", he had said and yet here he was, nearly dying by the amount of blood loss.

One single tear dripped down Rukia's eye as she put her hand on the inside fold of the coat she had received from the commander.

His action of handing it to her meant that he had approved, that he knew the dangers up ahead couldn't just be handled by the two men.

Ichigo and Renji who were lying on the ground struggling to breathe watched as Rukia stepped forward in front of their opponent, with an expression they had never seen before.

Anger.

"STOP!" They cried out at the same time, hoping their voice would reach her.

But it did not.

Before they could realise it, Kiyone and Sentaro had lifted them off the ground and carried them to the side, away from the zone of harm.

Ichigo tried to pry Sentaro off of him.

"He can't fight!" Ichigo managed to say through his erratic breathing.

"You have to help him!"

Kiyone and Sentaro looked at each other with raised eyebrows, and then turning to Ichigo asked,

"What ever do you mean?"

Renji groaned, his hand over his bruised shoulder.

"He can't fight, can he?" Renji worded through his ragged breath.

"Nobody has ever seen him fight!"

Kiyone stood up, motioning to the Lord who now stalked towards the enemy, every step she took screaming confidence.

"I think you've misunderstood something, fellow warrior," She said, glancing at the two men who looked up at her, confusion overpowering their worry.

"The reason no one has seen him fight isn't because he can't," She continued, as they collectively watched Rukia charge at the man.

When she was at a foot's distance, the hand that was inside her coat emerged.

In it was a beautiful sword, it's blade sharp as the rays of sunlight that were bouncing off of it.

It was beautiful, the hilt sported splendid designs as if carved of ice. A long ribbon extended from the hilt outwards, fluttering in the breeze that blew by, giving it the appearance of snow.

She rushed forwards, her feet pushing at the ground below her.

It was time for her to show what she was made of.

"It's because no one who has had the privilege of watching him fight has escaped with his life!"

Rukia swung her sword in a horizontal motion, attempting to slice the man's abdomen. He dodged, his grin only extending. How badly she wanted to hack it off his face the heavens alone knew.

All of them watched in amazement as she threw blow after blow, her movements as graceful as a swan. To Ichigo it didn't look like she was fighting at all.

It looked as though she was dancing.

Gin evaded her moves as best as he could, but even he had started to realise that he would be overpowered, hence seeing no other alternative to defend himself from the incoming attack, Gin drew his sword from it's sheath, holding it above his head which would have been split in two halves had he not acted quickly.

Rukia jumped back, realising that staying in the same position any longer would result in certain death.

"You sure are strong," Gin said, drawing eights with his sword in the air.

"But not nearly enough to defeat me!"

She knew she was strong, she was trained by none other than her own beloved commander. And she had learned better than to disappoint him.

He charged forwards, his sword positioned to rip her chest open.

"She can't block that attack with one sword!" Renji exclaimed, breaking into a fit of coughs not much later.

"RUN!"

Rukia watched the man, his hellish face no longer scaring her. The heavens hadn't blessed her with good height or muscularity, but it mattered not, because thanks to that very fact, she was always underestimated.

And that was her advantage.

Seeing no choice, Rukia held her sword parallel to her face, the tip of the blade coinciding with the bridge of her nose.

Holding the hilt a bit away from the central line that divided it uniformly. She held it and pulled it in opposite directions.

All of them were astounded as the beautiful sword Rukia had held mere moments ago, now split into two along a vertical axis.

Now holding two blades in her hand, Rukia crossed them in front of her face, blocking Gin's attack.

The man jumped away, taken aback by her move. He hadn't been imformed about this.

After a second of catching his breath, Gin returned his sword to its sheath and smiled courteously.

"That was a very refreshing battle. After many years have I been surprised by somebody's tactic."

Rukia's dark eyes burned with rage. "You flatter me." She spat out in the most ungracious voice she could muster.

"You have something that my master desires," Gin said, attempting to strike a deal with the noble.

"If we have it, we'll let you be."

Rukia scoffed, lifting her sword skyward and stabbing it into the Earth with all her might, a sign of defiance.

"Why should I give into your demands?" She questioned.

The man stole a glance at her companions who all stiffened at his gaze. He looked fearsome.

"We will meet again." He said, before disappearing into the thick fog that had covered the entire forest.

As the enemy vanished in front of her eyes, Rukia's legs wobbled and she fell forwards, her knees hitting the ground.

How many years had it been since she had lifted a sword? She was advised not to, and for a very good reason too, hence she never carried it.

She always had an entourage with her whenever she went places and most of the travelling had been done by the commander when he was in good health.

"You," Ichigo said as he breathed heavily, twitching everytime Sentaro put the wet cloth with medication over his large wound.

"You are amazing."

Rukia couldn't help but grin at his comment, even though the moment didn't call for it.

"That I certainly am." She said, wiping the dust off her face with the back of her hand.

They had all lost way too much strength and would require quite a lot of rest to recuperate and continhe their journey.

This was just the beginning of their trials, Rukia thought to herself, her only fear being that she would lose a friend or two on this blasted trip.

She wanted to see no more loved ones dying, but as the saying goes,"You never get what you want."

And somehow in her case,it had been that way more times than she'd like to acknowledge.

* * *

Okay! I just wanted to add some action and sword fighting because samurais duhhh... This part of the story mainly concentrates on character development and building of friendship, because I just can't imagine them getting all lovey dovetail without any real contact.

I hope you liked it and thank you so mjch for reading! And for all of you who even for a second thought I'd make Rukia weak and unable to fight, :p

Looking forward to your reviews. I love yy'all!


	6. Chapter 6: An enemy ?

Hey everybody! Okay, first I should probably apologize for the delay! I had assumed after my parents anniversary celebrations were over, Id get down to writing, but then I fell ill and my brain trapped itself in a box without a key.

Anyway, Im sorry this is long, I just couldn't cut it into two chapters, sorry! **MAJOR CHARACTER INTRODUCTION!**

 **Happy** Reading and please leave your reviews! I love y'all ! *Blows kisses*

* * *

 **Chapter 6 : An enemy?**

 **Black**.

That's all he could see. There seemed to be no floor, yet he was standing, no sky, yet he was floating, no air around him, yet he was breathing. It didn't have any characteritic feeling to it, almost as if Ichigo's five senses had been blocked.

 _Exactly what was this place?_

 _Amazing grace, how sweet the sound_

 _That saved a wretch like me._

The boy's eyes widened in surprise.

That song?

Ichigo scanned the area around him -how much ever he could, since he couldn't move - and his eyes set on a spot that was emitting light.

He squinted, trying to push the limits of his vision.

 _I once was lost, but now I'm found,_

 _Was blind, but now I see._

The voice had gotten closer, turning from a soft humm to a louder song. Ichigo hadn't even blinked, when his surroundings were illuminated, the tiny speck of light now expanding and covering the whole area.

By the time his eyes had adjusted to the sudden change in the environment, the song had stopped.

Only to be replaced by a person in front of him.

"You..." Ichigo said, not even attempting to hide his astonishment.

She walked towards him, her hips swaying in tandem with her bouncing hair, her footsteps making a soft sound, though how, he had no idea. She soon stood in front of him, her smile the only thing he could see. Her scar stood out to him, the only sign he could hope to identify her with.

"Who are you?" He asked, his words coming out more desperate than in question.

She smiled. Ichigo couldn't see her features, the veil pulled over it being in the way. How he was aching it pull it off her face!

"Ichigo..."

He reached up for the shadow of a face, trying to grasp it in his hands, feeling it with his fingers.

"Ichigo!"

He heard a voice exclaim in the distance, but the boy was too lost in his thoughts, too focused on what was before him to care about anything else.

" **ICHIGO!** "

This time he couldn't ignore it. His eyes shot open, the abrupt breaking of his dream causing him to groan in frustration. He squeezed his eyes shut, his head aching thanks to the excess light that just entered through his eyes.

He could hear the chattering of the birds; it seemed to be morning but the rays of sunlight only touched selective spots of his face. It seemed like a shadow was covering it, exposing merely a few areas of his skin.

Ichigo felt something in between his fingers; something rough and squishy. He kept pushing his fingers into the spongy surface, wondering what exactly it was.

That was until he cracked his eyes open ever so slightly.

Over his own face loomed another, with much the same dimensions as his, except it was squeezed in a weird shape, in between his palm.

And above that was a bush of pink hair.

"Who are you..." he said, pulling the face closer to him, examining every spot.

"WAKE UP DAMMIT!" Was the last thing the boy heard before he was kicked straight across the green field he was laying on.

"Ouch! It hurts!" He exclaimed rubbing his head, the pain shooting through his skull, causing a strange buzzing in his ears.

"Damn right it should!"

Ichigo looked up, for the first time - since he was very ungraciously woken up - taking in his surroundings.

It was the same place they had rested last night, the drops of blood having stained the grass red. But what pulled his attention was the bubblegum haired lieutenant, who stood in a distance, huffing and puffing, pulling as much air into his lungs as he could.

Ichigo blinked in confusion. What had happened ?

"What do you think you're doing?!" The lieutenant put his hand on his cheeks, that were now red from all the, well, massaging that Ichigo had done.

The saffron haired boy looked down at his hands and repeated his previous actions, now realising what had transpired.

"Renji, listen to me!" He said as he watched the annoyed lieutenant reach for his sword, imagining cutting which part would hurt the most.

Ichigo moved two steps behind, his eyes on the lieutenant's hands that were shaking in anger. Oh dear, what a mess he'd gotten himself into!

And first thing in the morning no better!

Before Renji could wield his sword however, something appeared in front of him, almost out of the line of his vision. Ichigo noticed the person from the corner of his eye, scowling at his presence.

Rukia lifted her hand and put a finger on the lieutenant's shoulder, where his wound was still slightly open, given as he screamed in pain and stumbled backwards. The dark haired girl didn't even flinch, simply walking past him to pick up her satchel that hung on a branch.

"If you have enough strength to pick a fight for stupid reasons," she said with her stoic expression and serious demeanor, her eyes scanning both the men in annoyance, almost as if asking them how old they were.

"Then move your legs. We have to get going."

Ichigo touched his abdomen, where the previous evening he had been hit. He was the son of a doctor, so treating wounds was the usual, but he had never been wounded so badly himself.

More importantly that man they had met... His eyes were hollow, almost as if looking through glass.

A chill ran down his spine in memory.

"At least the scary part of the trip is over," He said, trying to nullify the strange tension in the air.

"I mean, how much worse can it get?"

Both Renji and Rukia gave him a worried look.

"If you think this was scary, I don't know how terrified you're going to be where we're going next."

The boy didn't understand the importance of the Lord's words and merely shrugged it off like it didn't matter. Something he would later come to regret, ofcourse.

"Let's go Sentaro!" He heard from behind him. Ichigo noticed their two other companions who had mounted the horses and faced the direction where they had come from not a mere day ago.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo asked, his eyebrows furrowed in question.

"Back home." Kiyone replied, petting the horse and grabbing the reigns tightly.

"They were supposed to accompany us till the border, but we're changing next part of the journey,"

Rukia said, straightening her robes under her coat, adjusting the waist belt that clung to her chest. It was pretty uncomfortable for her, wearing it higher up so as to not let anyone doubt her gender.

"Is a giant risk."

"Risk? " Ichigo questioned.

"You'll see." Renji replied, tying his sword to his back with a piece of cloth. Ichigo still had a lot of things to learn, a lot of things to see and he couldn't tell if he was excited or straight out terrified.

Well, he'd just wait and watch.

* * *

"Take care of yourself." Were the last words Kiyone said to Rukia as she and Sentaro took off in the direction of the Kuchiki House. She was afraid of leaving her with two men, but she had no choice after all, Rukia wouldn't like to be underestimated or pampered by anybody.

"But why are we changing routes?" Ichigo asked, watching their horses speed off away from them.

 _Did this mean the rest of the journey was by foot?_

Rukia glanced at the boy, his shoulder that was previously cut open now covered in bandages, blood still painting the inner folds. She felt miserable for having to take a newbie with her on this terrifying journey; he had to fight for someone he had seen only two days ago and barely knew anything about!

"The enemy will expect us to take the usual route, the path that is ahead of us," Rukia replied pointing forwards, at the land that ended where the now rising sun met the barren ground.

"But to throw them off guard, we'll take this one."

Her hands shifted slowly over the area,and Ichigo's eyes moved with it, until she stalled it's movement.

He looked in front of him, to see where they were heading next.

"The forest?" His gaze fixed at the vast variety of trees, the same place the assassins had come through not very long ago.

"Yes," Renji said, his eyes scanning the entire span of the woodlands.

" _The forbidden forest_."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, the clichéd name causing him to stiffle a laugh.

Rukia noticed and glared at him in response, clearly disapproving his behavior.

"No one that enters the forest,"

She said, her voice now sounding distant , as if she were lost in the wilderness before her.

"Must leave unaccompanied."

Ichigo didn't question any further, telling himself that he would just agree to whatever they said and walk to his death if he had to.

He didn't have a choice either way.

What he didn't admit though, was how much this adventure had riled him up, since the boy himself was not one to stay confined to a small village struggling to earn a living.

Well, his dad had always told him he resembled his mother in more ways than he could imagine.

* * *

As the trio walked through the woods, tiny branches cracking under their feet, Renji could barely handle the silence.

"Forests sure are scary, huh!" He said, in a weak attempt to initiate a conversation in between the three. Who was he kidding though? The three of them were as similar as chalk and cheese; one a noble lord, the other an amused newbie and himself, an imprisoned parrot.

A conversation in between them, what are the odds?

"Not really. I quite like forests, " the lieutenant glanced at the orange haired boy struggling to get the shedding leaves off his hair and hunching his back to protect himself from being stabbed by the branches.

"Particularly at night."

Rukia stopped abruptly, unable to mask the surprise on her thanked her stars that the two men couldn't see it.

Were his words directed towards her unknowingly? She ached to know.

 _The branches are getting in the way_ ,she mumbled, conjuring up the most unconvincing excuse ever to put the two men off her trail, which had the opposite effect ofcourse.

The bubblegum haired lieutenant was tempted to ask if they even reached her height, but held it back in fear of being hanged, which was quite likely a response he would get.

A small movement alerted the party, who stopped in their tracks.A wild animal? Ichigo thought to himself. It was quite usual for wild animals to roam in a forest, and this time round, he was armed.

Reaching for their hilts, the three took their stance, holding their breaths in anticipation. The bushes in front of them, shook vigorously, causing Ichigo to tighten his grip on the sword.

And out it came, the dangerous animal that was sure to tear them to pieces with but one look.

A rabbit.

"Chappy!"

The two men watched as the young lord, head of the noble Kuchiki Clan who was on an important journey full of hurdles and bloodshed and had a day ago proven his brilliance in battle, sat cuddling a rabbit.

"C-chappy?" Renji asked, his mouth still hanging open in shock. Ichigo was much the same, staring at the Lord with his mouth agape.

Rukia froze, realising her slip up. But how could she resist it? Ever since the first time the girl was introduced to the fluff creature by the commander, she had called it 'chappy' though why, she had no clue.

But this time, she was in public.

"Is there anything wrong with me taking a liking to an animal?" She asked with her usual stoic expression, trying to throw the men off track, though she looked a hundred times more terrifying to the surprised warriors.

"N-not really.." Renji said, waving his hands in front of his face in denial. This was one fight he didn't want to get into.

While Renji shrugged it off and thought nothing off it, Ichigo couldn't. Her smile that had lasted for but a fleeting second resembled somebody else he had seen, but he couldn't place who it was.

Rukia could feel Ichigo's gaze on her, boring a hole into the back of her head. How she had been so careless, she failed to understand. The girl raised her head and scrunched up her face in annoyance, looking up at the endless blue sky that she adored.

Until she noticed something from the corner of her eye. In the middle of the day, in a forest, what could possibly be shining in the sky ?

And then it struck her.

Rukia's reaction was as quick as lightening, pushing Ichigo out of the way as something struck the ground he had been standing above a second ago.

Startled by the sudden push, Ichigo stumbled and he looked behind him in horror, only to notice an arrow piercing the ground, it's blade probably as sharp as his sword.

"Those are some good reflexes you have." A voice came from somewhere above. The trio's gaze shifted from the thin and long arrow, to the shooter who stood atop the tallest tree in the forest.

"You're a rebel, I take it." Rukia said, pulling out the arrow and flinging it away from them.

A rebel ?

"Ishida Uryuu." He said jumping down and landing swiftly in front of them with a charming bow held in one hand and a quiver full of arrows on his back, in combination with his strange white and cyan outfit, the likes of which Ichigo had never seen.

"Rebels were supporters of the Meiji government that demanded the abolishement of the Samurai and welcoming of foreign trade," Renji proceeded to explain, having noticed Ichigo's clueless expression.

"Something that we were clearly it wasn't to enjoy our high position in the hierarchy, but because the Meiji emperor was too immature and considered ruling a country child's play." He wasn't defending them, everything he said was true.

"Unlike us, who wield swords, they carried bows and our practices, it got to such a point that any petition put forth by us was rejected and so.."

Renji didn't know how to frame the words to make it sound less hurtful.

"So the samurais had to erase every last of them." Rukia completed, clenching her fists. She didn't particularly like the way they were massacred, but it had to be done.

"So you've come to take revenge?" Renji questioned, feeling sorry for the boy who was probably the last of his kind, still somehow standing on his two feet all alone.

"Don't be stupid," The azurette replied, scoffing at the lieutenant's reasoning.

"In my opinion, the Samurai's were correct. The king was hardly dependable, even for us rebels."

"Then why?" Rukia asked, quirking her eyebrows in question.

"Because you did not even consider the pleas of the one person who wished to co-exist!" He spat out acidly.

There was a moment of silence. Was he talking about a relative?

"You lost me halfway through the explanation," Ichigo said, scratching his nose in irritation. He was told he had the attention span of a gold fish and the patience of a grasshopper.

"So you basically have a score you want to settle with the Samurais, right?"

His blunt way of putting it caused the man to eye him in disgust, but he simply nodded in reply.

Ichigo drew his sword and pointed the tip to where the man stood, now readying his bow.

"Sounds good to me! Let's settle this!"

"Stop it Ichigo!" Rukia shouted in annoyance. _Just how reckless is he?_

"We don't have the for this!"

Ichigo side glanced at Rukia, his usual boyish features now replaced by one of utter confidence.

"If you're asking me two run with my tail in between my legs, then that's not happening."

How could a boy who barely knew what he was supposed to do make an expression like that?

With Rukia moving out of his way, Ichigo took his stance, declaring battle.

"The rules are simple," The challenger said, flinging something in front of Ichigo and hopping onto alternate branches of trees, climbing to the highest there was. Ichigo looked down.

There by his feet was a piece of meat.

Without a second's notice, wild animals poured in, surrounding them from all sides.

"Whoever annihilates the most wins!"

Ichigo, who had expected a one-on-one combat was taken by surprise, but had no time to vocalise it as the assault commenced.

He should have looked before he leaped. Literally.

Renji respected their match, but how could he just stand and do nothing in this situation?

He stole a glance at the leader of their party, awaiting his reaction. How ever, what he saw left him asking one question: _why?_

Rukia's expression was filled with horror, her face contorting into one that screemed fear.

 _Why did he look so terrified?_

"Stop this!" She cried out.

"Stop making a fuss!"

But it was too late.

"Come down and fight godammit!" Ichigo shouted, swinging his sword and killing as many as he could in one go.

Arrows raised from above, striking most of the creatures, killing them instantly.

 _Ten, twenty, thirty_ , the count kept rising, tiring both the men. The rebel who could shoot four arrows per second was now down to two and his aim was off, blood trickling down his wrist.

It should have ended by now, a tiny bait like that shouldn't have attracted these many of them.

And the numbers weren't even of greatest concern!

Was it just him, or were they getting stronger?

It was already late afternoon by then and Rukia had had enough of this pointless fight.

The forest was dangerous and particularly in the evening because of a rumoured beast.

"Ichigo, enough!" She yelled,stopping him mid-attack. She glared at his opponent, with eyes full of rage.

"We have wasted enough time entertaining you. We must depart before-" Rukia's voice faded into nothingness as footfalls were audible in the distance. All of them looked around, noticing the animals receed as if in fear of a bigger threat, which was confirmed when a man stepped out of from within the shadows, if he could even be regarded as one.

"Already done playing?"

A machine like face replaced normal features, a strange boomerang shaped gear fused with his skull. With a body that eerily resembled a moving doll, he was a walking nightmare so much so that calling him a beast would be an understatement.

"I was hoping to take a new specimen home with me."

No, he was a monster. And he was exactly whom Rukia had feared they would encounter.

" **Kurotsuchi Mayuri**."

* * *

Oof! This was quite difficult to think up! I had to somehow manage to bring Ishida in just like the Canon story had and I thought what better way than this?

I hope you liked it and sorry it was so long! Thank you for reading and im looking forward to your comments! I love y'all!


	7. Chapter 7: The Beast

Hello everyone! I realise it's been a while since I've posted, and part of the reason is probably my lack of motivation *holds ears* Im sorry T_T

Let me answer a few questions now!

 **Q. Was Ichigo pinching Renji's face? Well, at least he wasn't caressing it lovingly while dreaming of the mysterious girl. At first I thought it was Rukia trying to wake him up and he ended up fondling her...*shrug* Renji needs to chill. He deserved getting his injury poked.**

 **I think Ichigo was referring to Rukia when he said he liked the forest, especially at night. Too bad nobody asked him why he likes the forest. CHAPPY! I could actually hear Rukia squealing like a little girl. I hope she sounded feminine enough to add to the confusion. And man, Ichigo doesn't have a good memory does he? *smh* I think maybe he's sorta kinda suspecting something. BTW did he know Kiyone was a girl?**

 **YAY ISHIDA! I like how you introduced him. A throwback to the manga. Not as tragic as being the last of his race so it's cool. I hope he joins them on their journey. Or at least keep watch over them as they make their way through the forest. Ugh! Mayuri...He's such a bastard. One of my least favorite from the manga. Is he responsible for the extra large amount of animals? I hope Uryuu kills the fucker. Can't wait till the next update. :)**

 **My Reply :** Thank you for reading! And yes, Ichigo was, I wanted Renji to over react like he always does because I love Renji xD and I expected most people to think it was Rukia, just to let them down. Your second question, he kinda knew, but didnt want to ask, because well RUDE.

And yes, large amount of animals = probably experiments =definitely Mayuri XD

Anywayy **,** I hope you're enjoying your time as this year is coming to a close. I hope you like it and leave your reviews! I love y'all!

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Beast**

The silence was deafening.

The only respite all of them had was Ichigo's uneven breathing, though his tired legs have given out, he still somehow stood with the support of his sword.

"You m-mean..." Renji stuttered, his eyes wide in shock, lower lip quivering in evident fear.

"It seems you know me," the man said, his machine-like hollow features accompanied by his eerie voice only further deepening his fear.

"How interesting."

Then it hit Ichigo. Under all the strange layers of clothes he wore, was a garb that only one section of society was allowed to wear.

 **The Samurais.**

The confused man looked from the stranger to the young lord, who just stood gritting her teeth.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri," she began, her face contorting into a disgust-filled expression.

"Leader of the Approach in Medical Science squad of the Samurai association."

 _Medical Science?_

" A genius, who was sure to lead us to a brighter future, but.."

"But?" Ichigo asked, shifting his weight from his hand on the sword to his legs, still catching his breath.

"But he was exiled." A voice answered from above.

From his position on the branch of a tree, the rebel jumped down, landing on his feet, his condition no better than the saffron haired Samurai, not that he would ever admit it.

"It's been a while since I've seen humans pass through, it's almost fate!" Mayuri announced, joyously waving his sheet white hands in the air.

"I was getting bored testing on these useless animals."

Ichigo's eyes widened, shock mixed with horror masking his features.

"You did something to these animals!?" Ichigo asked, more for confirmation than actual curiosity.

The man before him simply shrugged, not seeming guilty at all.

"Just some testing."

The angered boy lifted his sword, taking his stance and spat out the blood that had lined his mouth.

"You disgust me."

Rukia pursed her lips that by now had lost all colour, her eyebrows furrowing. This man was far more dangerous than he appeared, which was saying a lot.

"This isn't even the beginning of how disgusting he is," the azurette archer said, and Ichigo was aching to ask him how he knew so much.

Then again, they were enemies.

"Do you not know why he was exiled?"

Ichigo nodded in denial, noticing the uncomfortable air around him.

"Human Experimentation." Renji said, still looking surprised at the man in front of him.

 _This monster was still alive?_

"Human... experimentation?" Ichigo repeated, his voice soft like a whisper, his brain not able to register the horror of the situation.

"After being deemed too dangerous, even though he was one of the best minds, he had to be exiled. Having nowhere else to go, it's said that he took residence in this forest, but due to his weakness to the sunlight, he could never attack anyone that passed by day."

Rukia had been warned by Commander Ukitake prior to leaving for the journey, but seeing no other choice, she assumed they'd manage to cross it before nightfall.

And they would have, had there been no interruption.

"I thought I'd wait for either one of you to die, but I lost patience when you used this stupid method of combat," The man sighed dramatically, his voice as robotic as he appeared.

"It's too slow."

Ichigo gripped the handle, tying it to his wrist with the cloth that covered it; he could already feel his arms growing tense.

"You have some interesting strength," the monster praised orange haired samurai, who didn't seem flattered in the least.

"Your forearm muscles would do me good. As for your opponent," He said, now turning to look at the rebel, who hissed in annoyance.

"I'll have the ones on your wrist bone."

"You demand so much," Ichigo replied, wiping the blood trickling down his eyebrow. Pointing his sword at the strange man, Ichigo challenged,

"Come take it then."

A laugh reverberated through the small space created by the tress around them.

"I don't fight when I don't need to."

One hand reached for his head.. or head gear. In the flash of a second, an object flew in the direction of the rebel, who himself had no time to react.

When he opened his eyes, however, he wasn't greeted by a death god, but a black clothed figure, his hair a darker shade of orange than before, looking like a damned good substitute of one.

And a needle through his hand.

"Saving an enemy?" Mayuri scoffed, retracting his hand where the weapon had been a minute ago.

"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed, rushing to where he stood, pulling out the sharp object from his arm.

"Enemy or not," Ichigo spat out, throwing the needle that was covered in his blood away like it was nothing.

"I don't want to see anybody's innards being poked by a madman!"

His usual recklessness intact, Ichigo rushed forward to attack the insane researcher.

Before he could, however, he collapsed midway, as if he had suddenly lost all his energy.

Which was exactly what had happened.

"I told you, I don't fight when I don't have to." The man said, now putting his feet on the boy, crushing his already injured head little by little.

Ichigo winced, the pain causing his entire body to go numb.

Renji attacked, his sword not even being able to cut through his steel strong skin. What was this man made of?

"Your sword cannot cut me," he said, holding the lieutenant's blade with his bare fingers.

"I've replaced all my useless body parts already."

In the meantime, Rukia dragged Ichigo off the field of danger, resting his bleeding head on her lap.

She shook him, trying to wake the boy who had been squeezing his eyes in pain.

"Ichigo!" She called out, her hand on his chest. She couldn't let him fall asleep.

Ishida, who had been unmoving for a while, now shook himself awake pulling out an arrow from the quiver and striking the man who had been swiftly avoiding Renji's attacks.

 _Why would he save me_ , the azurette thought, arrow after arrow being fired by him.

Weren't they fighting just a while ago? Wasn't he the one who caused this?

"What did you do to him!" Rukia screamed, her voice cracking in rage.

 _Was the needle poisoned?_

"Exhausted his energy."

Mayuri laughed, pulling out a sword that rested on his waist belt.

"It quite simple. The needle is laced by a drug I created that can absorb all the energy that is produced by the human body."

Rukia's mouth fell open, a gasp escaping from her mouth.

"In other words, the more energy he spends, the faster he'll die."

The words being exchanged were audible to the saffron haired boy, but they just sounded like vibrations in the air.

When he cracked open his eyes, he could see someone.

Dark hair, short stature, a thin frame. And a scar on the shoulder.

Was he dreaming again?

Ichigo reached for her, but the oblivious Rukia paid no attention to him, instead concentrating on Mayuri's words.

He would die?

"Damn you!" Renji screamed, randomly swinging his sword, angered beyond sanity. It should have been his duty to protect both of his companions, with all the strength he prided himself over.

 _Lieutenant, my ass_ , he thought sweat dripping down the side of his face.

He couldn't even protect two teammates!

Ichigo tried to look through blurry eyes, at the woman he kept seeing in his dreams whose lap he rested on. He didn't know who she was, nor where she came from, even if she was real or not.

But against all reason, he felt safer than ever before, as he slowly lost consciousness.

The last time he heard her call him, he was certain it was the voice of that cheeky little midget.

How was that possible?

Rukia looked down at the boy, who had stopped moving, his hands fallen by his side. She felt for his pulse, which was weak, barely even there.

As Mayuri walked to where Ichigo lay, to collect his treasured specimen, an arrow halted him in his stride.

The lieutenant and lord watched as the archer, who barely had any strength left, had his hand on the string of his bow.

"Your destination is just a few kilometers away," he said, his eyes still on Mayuri's movements.

"Take him and go."

Renji and Rukia looked at each other and then at the cyan eyed man, who had readied yet another arrow, aiming it somewhere above them.

"But you'll -"

Before the woman could complete her words, he released the arrow, which hit the tree branch that was in front of them, blocking Mayuri from being able to follow them.

"I don't want to owe a Samurai anything." He silenced her, his back to them.

Rukia and Renji nodded, bowed in gratitude to the man who saved them,and having no other choice, took off with Ichigo slung on Renji's shoulder.

"Oh my," Mayuri said, watching them leave and turning his gaze to his other prey.

"I assume you know the consequence of letting my prey escape?"

 _Is this good enough?_ Ishida thought to himself, wondering if his voice could reach the one who was no more.

 _You, who always wanted to co-exist..I saved a samurai, will you forgive me now, grandfather?_

Ishida reached for something and successfully pulling it out, poured it all over his arrow, emptying the vile. Now readying his bow, his eyes locked with the monster before him.

"I'm sure I have a lot more to offer."

* * *

Rukia and the lieutenant ran through the wilderness, as fast as they could with a completely incapacitated Ichigo.

 _Please don't die_ , she thought to herself, glancing at him sadly.

Were they already too late?

Renji, who by then was already tired, barely had any energy left to even move on his own accord. His feet pushed on the uneven ground below him, the inertia somehow helping him maintain balance.

But carrying a grown boy and running in the woods when you're already injured is hardly safe, if not at all.

So when he missed his footing and fell on his face, Ichigo on top of him, he wasn't surprised.

Rukia ran up to where they were, trying to pull Ichigo off of the Lieutenant. He had had to carry the boy for far too long with his own injuries. It depressed her, but there was no way for her to help him.

What were they supposed to do?

Even if they managed to reach, was there any guarantee that they would be able to save him? What if they say he's already beyond saving?

Right as she sat there, considering an alternative, Rukia could feel a pair of eyes on her.

Afraid that once again it would be an enemy, she aimed a branch at the location and let it go.

As it managed to hit the right spot, a person jumped out with a yelp and fell down, face first.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The boy cried out, almost as if he was being accused of a major crime that he hadn't committed.

Black bangs framed the sides of his face and his cyan eyes were now squeezed shut. He wasn't particularly tall,was as thin as Rukia herself and his voice sounded feminine.

"I didn't mean to spy on you, I'm sorry!" He continued,bowing near Rukia's feet.

"Who are you?" She asked, more worried about her injured friend than a over apologetic kid.

"Yamada Hanatarou," the boy said, slowly looking up at the company.

"An assistant nurse under Unohana Retsu."

Rukia's eyes widened and she grabbed the boy by his shoulders, shaking him back and forth.

"Unohana? You mean 'Unohana the Healer'?" She questioned.

"Y-yes.." He answered, stuttering out of surprise.

Rukia heaved a sigh of relief, turning to Renji, who was wiping his sweat.

 _Ichigo would be saved._

* * *

Okay, I'm done! Did you get the substitute death god (Shinigami) pun! *nudge nudge* Thank you for reading and I hope you like it! Waiting to read your Beautiful reviews. I love y'all!


	8. Chapter 7 and a half : Adulthood

**Happy New Year everyone!**

And this is... not the new chapter. *Awkward laugh*

The reason I'm putting this in separately is because I can't really understand where to fit it in without breaking the flow of the current story. So let's just call this chapter 7.5?

Thank you for reading and I'm looking forward to your reviews! I love y'all!

* * *

 **Chapter 7.5 : Adulthood**

He looked around, scanning the various representatives and heads of families that stepped ahead one by one before the tall towers in front of them, above which sat the officials whose work was to ensure peace and harmony with the help of the nobility.

Which they hardly managed to do with the count of droughts and riots rising.

The monthly report presenting was one of his most hated duties in the event of the head's absence, one he would try to avoid by any means and on his lucky days, he would be successful.

But today clearly wasn't one of them.

"The Kuchiki House representative," a booming voice called, it being as strong as thunder.

"Please step forward."

Pushing his long black hair off his shoulder, he began walking, the calm and composed expression on his face masking his annoyance.

He handed the scrolls in his hand to the middle aged woman who sat solely to stamp them after approval. She looked up at the handsome man, his porcelain skin and kohl black eyes threatening to strum any woman's heart strings, something that hardly interested him.

The part of the process that annoyed him wasn't the exchange itself, but the words that always followed.

"If I may ask," a shrill feminine voice questioned, a sharp distaste evident.

"Why is the head of the family not present?"

The raven haired man, held back a sigh, keeping in mind that he was representing the entire family.

"He is away on an important mission."

He declared in his usual stoic demeanor.

 _Emotionless_ , many whispered, but that word was not alien to him for he had mastered to skill to filter out things that weren't of importance, the words of unknown people being one of them.

"You must find it difficult having to work under a mere child," another voice snickered, an arrogant scoff audible.

"You being the worthy head."

At this comment, he finally opened his eyes, that till that point he didn't find the need to use, for all they did was shoot death glares, as if bringing the proverb **_"if eyes could kill"_** to life.

"I do not remember asking for your opinion," he retorted as formal as could be, being brash was not his way.

 _He would rather sting than slap._

"To me, they hold no value."

The chatter in the room made it obvious that he had shaken the arrogant minister's pride.

"We only wish for the best of all families under our jurisdiction," a more calm man voiced, age that had lead to wisdom at handling dicey situations resounding the hall.

"Do you think it wise for decisions for an entire family to come from the mind of a mere child?"

He had always hated conversations with narrow minded folk, this being the very situation he wished to escape.

"If I believed otherwise, I would have taken all the duties on myself."

Even those who came from far way would be able to tell with one glance how very dedicated he was to his family and how under his gaze, not a tiny weed would go unnoticed, the silence in the hall proving his point.

Turning on his heel to leave , he could feel all gazes in the room fixated on him.

A bold move, he knew, to argue with the board of ministers, but it hardly mattered to him when the skills of somebody beyond brilliant were mocked.

"I suggest you read the report I have handed in," he said, stopping for the last time before exiting the suffocating environment.

"They have been perfectly compiled by the one you refer to as _'a mere child'_."

He breathed in the fresh air, the fragrance of the many flowers in the garden calming his restless mind.

He had no less faith in the skills of his younger step sibling, having been trained by the former commander of his troops, but it didn't stop him from thinking the worst.

Shaking his head in denial, he took a step forward, finally convincing himself that the fragrance probably caused delusions.

"If only you were so nice to that kid."

The man's eyes widened at the voice, almost unable to trust his own ears.

"You..." He hissed, as he felt thin fingers rest on his shoulder. Trying to yank the person to the front, he grabbed her hand, but she used it to her advantage, applying pressure to his shoulder as support to spin above his head and land gracefully on her feet in front of him, like a cat which she resembled in almost all ways.

Amber split eyes peered at him with a teasing smile adorning her face, a toned dark skinned body that any woman would envy meeting his slightly opened eyes and mullberry bangs split from the centre outwards as if mimicking cat ears giving her a complete feline appearance.

"It's been a while," she said, one hand on her thin waist and the other playing with the hem of her saffron garb.

"Little Byakuya."

The calm expression on his face that had begun to slip off now was completely restored, as he walked past her in silence.

"Shihoin Yoruichi," he said, his lips slightly twitching in annoyance;her name itself made him want to slice her into two halves.

"What would you be doing here?"

"Rude as usual," she said in her very...un-feminine voice, her grin only widening at his disgust.

"Watching you behave like a spoilt child, I guess?"

His eyebrows raised as he turned his head slightly to look at the woman who was much older than she appeared.

"You should have time to waste," he said, unmoving from his position

"After all, you disowned your own family."

The smile temporarily vanished from her face, to be replaced by one more suitable for her age.

"Time demands more than one can give," she said, a nostalgic glint in her eyes.

"Sacrifice is necessary."

He had to admit,this was probably the only aspect Byakuya could agree with the demonic catwoman on.

"You shouldn't isolate yourself from everyone," she told him in a more serious tone, as if offering serious advice...or a warning.

"Before you know it, you'll be hated by all."

The dark haired warrior scoffed.

"Then your worry is unnecessary," he asserted, disappearing down the path to the Kuchiki House.

"Only those who are foolish enough to love are afraid of being hated. "

Yoruichi stood, now lifting the hairpin that the boy had kept hidden in his clothes, smiling sadly at it.

 _Trying to hide what you clearly are unable to forget_ , she thought to herself, the face of his secret deceased lover, who he thought he had hidden from the world danced in her mind, the hairpin being Byakuya's last link to her.

 _You're still a child aren't you, Little Byakuya?_

* * *

If you don't remember this "hairpin", it's a reference from chapter two, where Rukia pulls it off while going to the forest, indicating...I'll leave it to your imagination *wink*

I hope you liked this short half chapter! Also, I wanted to modify the plot because in the cannon, there was a scene where Yoruichi steals Byakuya's hairtie. Except I made it more tragic.T_T

Anyway, looking forward to your reviews. I love y'all! AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES! *Blows kisses*


	9. Chapter 8 : Miracle

**H-hey y'all, it's been a while *awkward laugh*** **So, I know I've been gone for far too long, but I swear I had a reason! I actually was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa and have since been attending treatment sessions for the same. The medicines seemed to have dulled my senses and so, writing a chapter or even a paragraph had become hard.** **After a long time, I finally wrote this, but I'm sorry it isn't as good as I wish it could be.** **Still, I hope you enjoy! Please leave me reviews, it motivates me and mkes a world of a difference.** **Thank you for still being here!**

 **Chapter 8: The miracle**

Renji was glad he didn't have to carry the impaired soldier alone anymore.

Already having to deal with his own deep injuries, the bigger man was certain he'd end up in a situation himself if he had soldiered on any longer.

Even though the boy was much tinier than the warrior he had on his back, he seemed to have been experienced in carrying wounded people, a matter that confirmed the lieutenant's suspicion.

Yamada Hanatarou belonged to the medical assistance unit.

It was a miracle, really. To find a medical unit right when they needed it.

"Name..." Ichigo whispered, in a dream like state, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Your name..."

 _Name?_ Renji thought.

 _Who's name was he asking for? His own?_

He glanced at the head of the family, who -as it seemed- had his eyes plastered on the unconscious boy the whole time, an expression of pain shadowing his sharp features.

To Renji, it looked like he knew what Ichigo was talking about.

Like it had something to do with him.

Also...

 ** _That arrogant Lord could make a face like that?_**

"These wounds are horrible..."

Hanatarou ran his shaky fingers over Ichigo's injury from the day before, that had seemed to open during his pointless contest with the rebel who had, in the end, saved their asses.

Ichigo flinched at the contact, but continued to mumble incoherent words in his sleep induced state.

To be honest, the azurette was half the reason they were in this position in the first place.

 _Only if he could have helped his friend,_ Renji cursed under his breath.

As the trees began to recede, the group could notice the settlement of cabins that came into view just above the horizon.

"We're here!"

Hanatarou motioned for Renji to handle Ichigo and he ran ahead, assuring that he would prepare a bed and alert his seniors.

Sirens blared just as they pushed past the gates, code blue for the emergency situation they were in.

"What is the condition?"

Long braided hair criss-crossing against her chest and a white coat wrapped around her voluminous frame , Unohana Retsu walked up to them, only the beeping of a monitor disturbing the silence that had otherwise fallen in her presence.

"He was injected with an unknown energy draining chemical of some sort."

Rukia hated the way her voice shook with uncertainty.

 _As if she feared his death._

With a nod of the medical commander's head, Ichigo was laid onto a stretcher and carried away by people shouting out his stats - Blood pressure, heart rate, everything in a frenzy- to make sure everyone was aware of the dire situation they were in.

They were short of time before the soldier's energy reserves were exhausted, ultimately leading to his demise.

Renji and Rukia stood outside, watching their comrade being wheeled into the operation theatre, feeling more helpless than they had ever in their lives.

"Don't fret,"

Renji looked to the source of the voice, who stood clenching his fists, his short frame appearing tinier as he tried desperately to fight the overwhelming despair that overcame him.

"Commander Unohana is the best medical officer in all of the country. He is in good hands."

Ofcourse, this was more of a consolation for himself than for Renji, and the lieutenant was quick to notice.

 _He certainly hoped their leader was right._

* * *

A good hour passed before the door to the theatre opened and out stepped a grim faced Unohana, pulling the surgical masks off her face and disposing of it in the trash can outside.

Meeting their expectant gaze, she spoke in her usual gentle voice.

"He's stable somehow. We pumped the drug out of his system."

As if sensing Renji's desire to run in to see the patient, she continued,

"But, since nearly all of his energy is depleted, he probably won't regain his consciousness for a while."

Rukia's legs gave out in relief, using the support of the wall to stay atop her feet.

"Thank the heavens."

Unohana nodded in agreement to the response, motioning for the young Lord to follow her into her office, a circumstance the raven haired Lord had expected.

Rukia shut the door behind her .

"Can I have you explain this entire situation to me, Lord Kuchiki?"

Rukia wasn't surprised that her identity was known, nor the fact that the woman had let curiosity get the better of her.

After explaining everything to the concerned doctor, she began an interrogation of her own.

"Why are you stationed in this obsolete place, Commander Unohana?"

She sighed in despair, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"The animals that the crazy scientist you encountered had tested on, often ended up leaving the forest and entering into the human villages to the North, causing quite a ruckus."

"So, on the request of the commander of the Northern villages, I took residence here with a few of my men to protect the villages and to rescue any victims of the attacks."

 _That was a smart move indeed; her team was the best to bank on in a situation that required more defense than offensive power._

Not to mention, thanks to her, Ichigo would live past his certain death.

Gratitude was an understatement.

"If I'm not wrong," Rukia started, tapping her chin in thought.

"The commander of the Northern villages is still **_him_** , isn't it?"

Before the woman could answer however, the door flew open with a rather loud bang.

Rukia glanced at the guest, who, with an "Ah!" and a wide eyed gaze came bouncing into the room where she was clearly uninvited.

"It's the Tiny Lord!"

Veins popped on Rukia's temple as she struggled to keep her anger in check.

She shouldn't let something like this crack her otherwise stoic demeanor.

"Greetings, Lieutenant Matsumoto."

Strawberry blonde locks cascaded down her back and adorned the sides of her face like an ornament, her crystal blue eyes half closed to support the smile that stretched across her face.

Rukia, since the moment she first laid her eyes on the beautiful woman, had envied her for more reasons than she could count.

For one, she had realised that fate had truly been unfair; Rangiku had everything Rukia wanted to be.

Beautiful, confident and...

 ** _She was a proud woman Samurai._**

You see, distinguished families had nothing against a female Samurai as long as she wasn't useless.

And Rangiku was anything but. She was a swordsman par excellence, her exceptional strategies adding in her favor.

 _Ofcourse, Rukia could only ever yearn for a life that easy._

"It's been a while, hasn't it? What brings you here?"

The raven haired woman contemplated on what would be the correct answer to that question. Should she, as per usual, get straight to the point, or go along explaining the entire story?

 _Explaining_ , she concluded _, to an airhead like the lieutenant before her would be nothing but trouble._

Unohana, observing the exchange in front of her, simply smiled and raised herself of the chair.

"I believe you have recieved your answer without me having to tell you, Lord Kuchiki."

"Seems so."

The blonde lieutenant tilted her head in confusion, evidently being kept out of the conversation.

"I was on my way to where you are stationed, Lieutenant."

The smile dropped from her face in a moment's time as the departure of a noble lord from his fortress meant something was wrong.

"What seems to be amiss?"

The look in her eyes made way for serious conversation and Rukia assumed it would be easier to discuss things through with her before she returned to her usual airhead self.

"Yes, about that-"

 **"ICHIGO, YOU PIECE OF ABSOLUTE GARBAGE."**

The crude language rang through the hall and Rukia was only sure it was one of her escorts talking, well, cursing at the other.

 _Which meant the other was awake._

She ran out of the room past the bewildered Matsumoto, and was by her comrades' side at light speed.

Rukia took the site in with baited breath; Ichigo sat with his hands over his ears and eyes squeezed shut in frustration.

 _Ichigo was awake._

 **"MY HEAD HURTS , YOU DICKHEAD."**

 **"IT FUCKING SHOULDN'T SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE A BRAIN IN THERE ANYWAY."**

 **"WHAT DID'YA SAY?"**

 **"YA HEARD ME DAMN STRAIGHT."**

Rukia, after standing and watching them yell at each other back and forth for a whole minute, _enjoying it even,_ (which she ofcourse, wouldn't admit) eventually lost her patience.

"WILL THE TWO OF YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTHS OR DO I HAVE TO BLOW A HOLE IN YOUR HEADS?"

 _Sheesh_ , it was almost like she was turning into them.

 _Maybe this trip would really drive her crazy._

Both men turned to look at their master, fumes radiating from her head as she took in short fast breaths of frustration.

"S-sorry.." they voiced in unison.

Rukia walked to the bed where Ichigo sat up, fearing the wrath of the petit lad.

But there was none of it left to manifest in the form of anger.

All Rukia felt was relief. Relief on seeing him normal again, breathing, talking, yelling even.

She gripped the side of his bed and exhaled deeply.

"I'm glad you're alive."

It was only a low whisper and it wasn't even meant to reach him, but Ichigo heard it clearly.

His voice felt unusually soft, almost reminding him of someone else, but he just couldn't place it.

For one moment, the sad look on the Lord's face, the crack in his voice, everything made Ichigo want to reach out, grab his hand and tell him he was fine.

That there was no need to worry.

He slapped a hand over his head in disgust at the very thought. _What was he even thinking anymore?_

The doctor's probably injected him with something weird, he inferred.

 _Definitely some weird medicine._

"I'm fine, totally fine, completely absolutely fine!"

Ichigo said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, sporting his usual grin.

"That's good, but,"

Her gratitude on his survival the same, she reached up to grab his hospital gown by the collar and growled in a low tone.

"If you ever do something that reckless again, I'll have you executed."

The young man nodded frantically, hands raised by his head in surrender.

 ** _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._**

Not that they knew anyway.

"Oooh, he has orange hair! So rare!"

Giggling, the bubbly lieutenant burst into the room where everyone had gathered, curiously looking from one person to the other.

"Matsumoto Rangiku..?"

The lieutenant couldn't believe his eyes. Renji was seeing her after many years, last being their time in the Samurai academy more than 7 years ago.

She had been his drinking partner whenever he wanted to spend his Saturday nights away from the loneliness (and sense of impending doom) of the male quarters.

"Abarai Renji!"

Rukia cleared her throat.

"It's good than you are acquaintances. That'll make our situation easier."

 _I'm still here, ya know_ , Ichigo thought to himself.

 _Nothing had changed, it seemed. He still had no idea what was going on._

Still, seeing his friends gave him a sense of comfort.

(Whether it was acceptable to call them that, he didn't know, but his head hurt too much for him to care anyway.)

 _It was good to be alive_ , he thought.

"As soon as Ichigo is completely healed, we'll depart for the villages to the North, one of the pillars of support of the Kuchiki clan."

Rangiku snapped her fingers in realisation.

"You'll be our guide to your home, Lieutenant Rangiku,"

The older woman bowed in acceptance.

"We're counting on you."

* * *

 _Ichigo, as it turns out, hated being left alone._

Rukia was amused at the site of him pouting after they all re entered the room from having had dinner.

(On asking why he looked so low, he simply mumbled a 'nothing' in evident irritation.)

So when everyone retired to their make shift rooms put together by the medical squad to rest, Rukia insisted on watching over her healing comrade.

The person in question, who acted like it was not a big deal, was secretly thankful to Rukia for not leaving him on his own.

If he requested someone to stay back, it would be too much of a contrast against his rude personality and he would probably end up being a laughing stock.

He was glad the head somehow understood that.

Rukia, who hadn't had the time to sit still upto this moment, pondered with her eyes closed, on the strange sequence of events that had taken place during their journey.

It almost felt planned; almost as if they were dancing on the palm of someone else's hand.

 _"You have something my master needs."_

The serpent's voice kept ringing in her ears as she tried to decode his cryptic words.

 _Who was the master? What did she have? What was all of this about?_

"You awake?"

Rukia cracked an eye open to look at the young man who lay on the bed facing away from her toward the window where the moon shone, illuminating his tall figure.

"What do you want?"

She could sense his hesitation and was amused for a second time that day, at how even a crass lad like him could waver before saying something.

"Do you know about the lake behind your mansion?"

Her breath hitched.

Rukia could feel the back of her throat burn in panic as his words registered in her head.

Yet, her cover was flawless, she had practiced hiding her identity for years.

A question from a clueless boy like him could hardly do any damage, yet she was thankful the room was dark.

" _It is **my** home_ , but I shouldn't expect a less dumber question from someone as brainless as you."

Rukia expected him to launch into a fit of 'OI WHAT DID YA CALL ME?', but she seemed to have misjudged.

 _Her comment did nothing to change the atmosphere._

"Then, you also know about the rumoured ghost?"

"Just a tale to scare the children from going into the woods."

He sat up abruptly, all she could see was a part of his face lit by the small beam of moon light that shown in his hazel eyes making them seem like burning embers.

"I haven't asked anything yet."

She raised an eyebrow at his suspicious tone and scoffed.

"What about it?"

He looked down at his hands in memory of her face that he had almost touched and her angelic voice that had taken over all his dreams.

And he also remembered how her voice saddened on the mention of the noble family and how he had concluded that the scar on her shoulder was probably because of them too.

The woman didn't want anyone to find her for some reason and he had the **audacity** to talk about her to the head of the family that would rather have her killed.

 _What an idiot he was_ , letting his curiosity get the better of him like that.

" Nothing. Forget I asked."

He let his head fall on the pillow and tried to sleep through the curiosity.

"Rukia,"

Her eyes shot open at her name being called, in half a mind to admonish him for referring to her without honorifics.

For some strange reason though,she didn't seem to mind his lack of respect.

Why, she wondered.

 ** _Why was she so carefree around him?_**

"Thanks for staying."

 _Thanks,_ she thought before she drifted off to sleep, _was something she should probably say to him at that point._

 ** _Thank you for protecting my secret in your own way._**

* * *

I know it isn't that great, but thank you so much for reading!


	10. Chapter 9: Promise and a name

**So, this update is really quick lmao. I'm so glad to be back! Thank you so mucch for your reviews, they mean the world to me! *Heart***

 **So, here we go!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Promise and a name**

Ichigo didn't know where he was.

The place felt oddly familiar, like a memory from his distant past.

 _"Isshin, just once..."_

 _"You have to understand. I cannot let that part of my life ever touch my family again.."_

He knew that voice. It was one that he had heard for the entirety of his life, annoyingly so.

His father.

 _"Plus, I can't get you involved into this troublesome situation, Kukkaku.."_

The woman then, just laughed. Her features resembled his own, the pointed nose, the large eyes, possibly even the confident smirk on her face.

He hated this constant feeling that he had been here before.

 _"One hell of a brother you are if you don't even know how much I love trouble."_

 _"Aunt, aunt! I want to come with you!"_

Tiny fingers clawed at the woman's clothes, drawing their attention to the child, whose smile shone brighter than his strikingly orange hair.

An exasperated sigh tore out of Isshin. He was already exhausted convincing his stubborn sibling against the idea and even the thought of repeating the process with his willful son was painful.

 _So that's how his orange hair looked from a third person view._ _No wonder he was bullied all the time._

The scene seemed to have changed while he remained distracted by his own carrot top head.

For the child, everything was different from what he was used to; the large room, soft spoken people and delicious looking food.

 **Food**.

"Ichigo, now listen,"

Though distracted by the snacks in the corner, young Ichigo tried his best to pay attention to the words of his aunt, who had carefully held his hand the whole time.

"Don't go outside on your own, alright?"

He nodded quickly, letting go off her hand and racing to satisfy his childish curiosity.

 _'That despicable child..'_

Their words reached his ears even as he tried to avoid it, shoving pieces of sweets into his mouth like he hadn't eaten for days.

 _'He's that child?!'_ _'Exactly! He's the traitor's son!'_ _'What a disgrace!'_

He wondered if they knew he could hear them.

And why did they have to be so rude-

 _"Don't listen to them."_

He was a little taken aback that someone had directly addressed him to even think of a reply.

 _"Adults are stupid."_

A kid, about his age stood next to him, evidently too young to sport such a cold expression on his face.

 _His? Her?_

He couldn't really tell and it would be far too preposterous to ask.

He'd just go with 'he' then.

Contrast to his disheveled appearance, the boy appeared reserved and much more royal than Ichigo could imagine himself to be.

Yet, he was told by his mother to not talk to strangers.

 _"I don't talk to strange people."_

The child snickered, pointing to him and laughing.

 _"Says the boy with orange hair!"_

If he had purposefully intended to grab Ichigo's attention in that way, then he had succeeded completely.

Ichigo was about to retort right after he had gulped down the last morcel, before the kid scurried away.

Adamant on not letting anyone get away with an insult to his hair, he followed, weaving through the crowd of adults that regarded him with disdain.

Somehow, it didn't matter that much anymore.

As Ichigo rounded the corner to where he was certain he saw the shorter child's trail, a more captivating picture caught his eye.

Hanging in the dark night sky, was a bright full moon, even the depth of its hollow craters visible to him.

It looked so scenic.

" _I usually look for places like these. It's so much better than listening to the adults."_

His momentary distraction led him to forget about his adversary, who stood under the picturesque sky, watching it with stars in his violet orbs, his fragile figure highlighted by the moonlight.

He couldn't tell which one was prettier anymore, the stars in the sky or the galaxy in her eyes.

 _Her?_ Hadn't he decided on 'his'?

 _"Y-yeah.."_

The stutter was so uncool, he thought rubbing the back of his head.

 _"It is.."_

He doesn't remember what happens after that, just a haze of memories of the child that had saved him that night and getting yelled at for wandering off, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face with what he had obtained.

 _A promise and a name._

* * *

Light flooded in as he opened his eyes, eyelids still heavy from the energy draining that had taken place.

Why did he suddenly dream of a memory from such a long time ago?

"You're finally awake."

He sat up with a start on hearing that voice.

It took him a while to recollect, but his words of the night before struck him like lightening.

 _And embarrassment._

 _"Rukia, thank you."_

 ** _Oh god._** ** _He wanted to bury his face in the floor._**

"About last night,"

He was planning on avoiding the topic, but the pipsqueak just had to go and bring it up.

"Uhh, I'm sorry about that."

Rukia pursed her lips.

She had spent the entirety of the morning wondering if she had heard him right.

This boy, who she had met a few days ago, had called her by her name.

But how did he know?

Rukia didn't once recall a day where anyone in the house had called her name, other than Commander Ukitake ofcourse, who also always made it a point to do so in private.

Then how? And if he had heard it somewhere, then she wanted to know.

"I was delirious with all the medicines and that's probably why that slipped out of my mouth."

Was it a coincidence that the name that slipped out of his mouth by accident belonged to her?

 _Impossible._

"Where did you hear that name?"

That was the worst way to frame the question, but you couldn't blame her. She was just too curious to care.

And she realised the consequence a second too late.

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"D-do you know her?"

 _Her?_

Rukia's jaw dropped in surprise. How was she supposed to hold back her shock from what she had just heard?

A secret that was guarded more than the doors of the nation, for 18 years of her life, and this kid waltz in with knowledge of it, without any idea how heavy a weight it had been on her back.

"No, I..."

Her mask had slipped that once, giving Ichigo enough time to really closely observe.

The raven hair, big eyes the colour of a hyacinth and the same fragile, dainty figure.

It was almost as if-

"You-"

"Oi! We need to leave already! Let's go!"

Rukia was grateful that the interruption distracted Ichigo, taking the chance to escape from his accusatory gaze.

Her heart pounded out of her chest, threatening to rip apart.

She had never felt that much fear in her life, fear of her secret being exposed, of her entire existence unraveling before the eyes of a stranger.

Ichigo stood glued to the spot, processing all the thoughts that rushed through his mind in that second.

They were more similar than he could have fathomed.

 _Rukia,_ he had later discovered, meant _the graceful light._

Nothing suited that kid more than that name.

As Ichigo stepped out into the light of the day adjusting the sword on his back, his gaze settled on the boy that sat on his horse, flabbergasted.

' _I'll find you. Even if you're forgotten by this world, I'll find you.'_

He remembered his promise from that day, the context still obscure.

There were still many questions that had remained unanswered; but one thing was clear now.

Fate wasn't the only reason he dreamed of her again.

Maybe, _just maybe..._

 ** _It was because he had seen her again._**

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it and look forward to the next chapter! Love y'all! *Heart heart***


	11. Chapter 10: Breach

Hey, I'm back!

So, the story is progressing quite a bit and things have just started to get intense! (Boy, am I enjoying writing these hehe) Also, just a point I needed to address, I have tried to keep this AU as close to the cannon as I could, so I hope y'all can relate to some of it and maybe predict how this story is going to progress! (I thought that would be fun!) Let me know if you like it!

So, if you haven't read the last arc of the manga, you might miss out on that fun a little bit!

Alright, enough for now, let's get on with the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Breach.**

"Are you too pretty for a male, or am I just seeing things?"

Rukia scowled.

 _That was rather straight forward._

It had been a tiring journey, even by horseback for the entourage, more so owing to the bubbly blonde dame who had incessantly hummed the same tune over and over again, riding more on their nerves than her own horse.

For Rukia it had been a whole different level of exhausting, with her being painfully aware of Ichigo's gaze boring holes into her back for the past hour.

So when finally, they had decided that the horses needed rest, she was grateful to have escaped his constant watchful eye momentarily, hurrying past the shrubs to collect water from the small stream that was flowing out of the forest beside them.

Her peace had lasted for less than a minute, much to her chagrin.

And as the question hung in the air, slicing the silence clean in half, she pondered if there was an answer that made her seem less suspicious in his eyes.

 _There was not_ , she concluded.

Anything she said would be butchered to shreds and pieced together to mean what he wanted to think.

 _Doubt_ , she had been taught, _was a vicious seed._

Once sown, it would grow with unmatchable speed and could not be uprooted no matter how hard one tried.

"Definitely just seeing things."

Ichigo eyed Rukia with uncertainty, causing her terrible discomfort, even as she maintained her composure.

Attempting to regain her mask that had been dealt a massive blow, she glared at him, still stiff in his presence.

"And that is rather rude."

He chose not to answer. He chose to purse his lips and let Rukia slip by, playing with the sheath of his sword absent mindedly.

Ichigo didn't know what to trust anymore; his drug induced brain that dreamed of a memory he didn't even fully understand, or the words of a midget that reminded him of someone and something important that he was forgetting.

None of it made complete sense.

But being himself, Ichigo knew he couldn't sit down and just let it all unravel slowly before his eyes.

Patience was definitely not one of his virtues.

He'd just grab the thread and yank the truth out so that he could finally give rest to his mind that wouldn't let him live otherwise.

The problem was however, he didn't know how. The only time they actually spoke was the once that didn't turn out very well for both of them.

 _How was he supposed to strike a conversation again?_

In his years as a young boy, Ichigo was pleaded to try and make friends by his father and siblings alike, but it never made much of a difference no matter how hard he tried.

The only real form of conversation in his life was fists that came flying to his face from kids twice his age that for some reason, really couldn't take his odd coloured hair.

There were ways to deal with that, he was told. He could tie a scarf covering his saffron spikes at all times.

Or there was always the option of shaving it all off

An option Ichigo would rather die than choose.

None of his family members understood why he chose to fight person after person that was offended by his hair than just get it over with once and for all.

 _He was just stubborn that way_ , they reckoned.

While they weren't completely wrong, there was more to it than they had imagined.

"Oi, we have to get going. We have to reach the Northern headquarters by evening."

Renji had been observing his friend and their leader; there seemed to be an unusual tension between them, but he didn't know if it was his place to ask why.

He wasn't a really good conversation starter himself and in the days he'd been in their company, the soldier had concurred that all three of them were more similar he had first thought.

So he just chose to break the awkward silences as much as he could.

"How nostalgic.."

Renji hadn't noticed their guide standing beside him, watching the three of them with a glint in her eyes.

"What is ?"

She smiled warmly. He could tell she had recalled a fond memory from long ago, the distant look in her eyes being a clear giveaway.

"Noble families. I worked for them from a short while too, you know,"

He'd have missed it if he wasn't looking at her, agony that crossed her sharp features for a millionth of a second.

"Before moving in with a distinguished family."

He wouldn't ask.

Even if the lieutenant was very outspoken, he knew not to trudge into another's life.

Moreover, _everyone knew what happened to the other noble families._

"Yeah? What was it like?"

Rangiku mounted her horse, still smiling from the memory of the days that were past.

 _And would sadly, never come back._

"Unlike anything you could imagine. Certainly unlike your situation."

Renji raised an eyebrow in question.

"The head of my family always shirked his work and I was left to do it."

She beamed. It was certainly obvious that she adored him, whoever he was.

"He was quite a handful."

Renji was glad for the times when she wasn't her usual self, the jumpy, childish woman, but the quiet young lady that he had known her to be in the academy.

It almost seemed as if everything else was a façade.

It took them four more stops and a ton of more awkward glances at each other to finally round the corner on what looked like...

...a village ?

And it wasn't just Renji that was amazed.

"I've never seen a village so... perfect?"

Rukia snickered beside the bewildered soldier, pride shining in her eyes.

"He had always been meticulous, that child."

 _Meticulous_ , to Ichigo, seemed like a giant understatement, enough for him to avoid the 'child' that followed.

Rows and rows of magnificently built mud houses sat past the gate, roads intersecting at right angles with them, all leading to a large structure in the centre, which he assumed, would be the headquarters.

As their horses trotted through the smooth roads, heads peeked out from windows with worried glances directed at them.

Ichigo smiled awkwardly at them, trying to at least look like the only member who hadn't looked death in the eyes.

He probably failed, seeing as they dropped the curtains.

Ichigo wasn't the only one who had noticed the afraid citizens, though.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, something seems to be amiss here."

Rangiku nodded in concern. Something definitely was not right.

At this time of the day, there would usually be at least a hundred villagers scurrying around, going about their daily business, living their normal lives.

Yet, there was nobody to be seen for as far as her eyes could reach.

 _What in the name of heaven had happened while she was gone ?_

As they neared, Rangiku dismounted and quickly rushed through the large doors, her three guests followed silently not far behind, running up the staircase as they watched her do so.

The old oak wood of the door dug into her knuckles as she knocked in quick succession.

"Enter."

His hoarse voice brought relief to her panic stricken mind and she exhaled to relax before presenting herself.

The door creaked open before her.

His teal irises widened for a moment, before he regained his composure.

"You are late by a day, Lieutenant."

If she didn't know him for long enough, she wouldn't have noticed how relieved he seemed to see her.

"Care to explain why?"

Rangiku couldnt help but think his eyelids looked heavy and shoulders stiff, as if there was some heavy burden of a sort on him.

Exactly what had caused him this much worry?

"That would be our fault, Captain Hitsugaya,"

Rukia, who had been analysing the situation while walking up the winding staircase had taken notice of soldiers arming themselves, which was a matter of concern in any defense base.

"And it seems we came at an appropriate time to ask, what in the world is happening here?"

Ichigo, on the other hand, waltz'd into the room to appreciate the leader of the village that had created such a serene environment.

And he chanced upon the little...rut.

 _What was it with the samurais and their leaders being abnormally tiny?_ _Was the entire government run by little people?_

The captain bowed in greeting and still, wide eyed, seemed to quite obviously wonder why the head of a noble family stood before him.

But that mattered less at the very moment.

Hitsugaya reached for something on his mahogany desk and handed it over to Rukia, whose eyes remained glued to it in shock.

It was a nearly wrapped scroll with a black ribbon tying it.

"Black ribbon?"

Renji had only ever read about it in textbooks while he was in the academy, but he knew it wasn't good.

Black was the colour of death, after all.

And evidently also the shade of doom that had fallen on Rukia's face.

Ichigo passed a hand in front of her, trying to bring their leader back to reality.

"Oi, open the thing."

Ignoring him, Rukia pursed her lips and looked up at the captain, who awaited her reaction.

"What does it say?" She asked, hoping that she would be prepared to hear it from his mouth rather than read it on a piece of tattered paper.

Hitsugaya inhaled sharply.

"The Western boundaries have been breached."

She knew this was coming. Only if she would have been able to warn them sooner.

"How much damage?"

The captain pointed to the scroll that sat nearly crumpled in Rukia's grip.

"70 injured and counting."

Ichigo looked from one person to the other at the painful silence that ensued.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Rukia looked at him grimly.

"It means the villages to the West are in danger."

 _ **West?**_

Ichigo stumbled backwards, holding on to the wall beside him to keep his knees from buckling.

 _This was a joke, right?_ _There's no way._

After he came all this way to protect them.

 _There was no way, right?_

Everybody sensed a problem.

Renji immediately moved to Ichigo's side, offering a hand to his petrified friend.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?"

He shakily regained his balance and walked up to the man behind the desk, towering him by quite an amount.

"You're lying aren't you?"

Hitsugaya didn't even look him in the eye. There was nothing he could say to console him.

It was the cold hard truth.

Everyone in the room was unnerved by the unusual fear in Ichigo's voice.

"What's the matter?"

The boy turned to look at Rukia in horror, still traumatized from the information he had just recieved.

 _ **"My village is to the West."**_

* * *

Ichigo's village is under attack? Isshin, Yuzu, Karin? :0 I hope you liked it! Please leave a review. Ciao!


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